When Angels Fall
by MasterMind13
Summary: We hear about shooting stars and how they don't come around very often. We also know how late at night people make wishes on them when someone is lucky enough to spot one... but when an angel falls from Heaven like a shooting star, can you still make a wish on them?
1. Chapter 1

**I've had this idea since 2018. I should've started when I had the idea still fresh in my head. Now I have to remember the plot line, and remember what happens along the way. But on the upside, I get to change things up. **

**The title was all my idea; the summary was thought up by my friend, darkgirl11. She's a godsend. ^_^ Anyways, hopefully, I'll have chapter two posted soon. I don't know when. *shrugs* Well, enjoy chapter one, guys. :)**

* * *

A single light shone from the upstairs bedroom, its inhabitant was pacing in a nervous state. Many nights were spent like this and Wirt often wondered if it would ever end. So many things rushed through his mind: school, homework, tests, college, the Unknown, the Beast. Actually, those last two things always burrowed into his head when he wasn't expecting it. He remembered every second, every minute and hour he and his younger brother Greg spent. It took Wirt a long time to realize that it was a near-death experience.

It happened on that Halloween night, he and Greg were trying to stop Sara from listening to a mixtape that was slipped into her jacket. After getting scared by the police in the cemetery Wirt and Greg jumped over the stone wall, only to remember that the train tracks were on the other side. Before they knew it the train was charging through and Wirt and Greg had to jump off and they rolled down the hill, where they plunged into the river. That was where their adventure began. The brothers traveled through a purgatorial world, the Unknown. They met a few friends, like Beatrice, the girl cursed into the body of a blue bird. There was also the Woodsman, the lumberjack who kept to himself, but helped the brothers immensely. They also made some enemies on the way. Their main enemy was the Beast. He was tall, silhouetted, with glowing eyes, but his most prominent feature were his deer antlers. Wirt knew right then that he wasn't human, and defying him proved to be more and more of a challenge with every step he came closer to getting home.

The Beast tried to tempt Wirt into taking his offer. Become the next lantern-bearer and carry his brother's soul inside the lantern. But Wirt was clever. He figured out that the Beast's soul, and not the Woodsman's daughter, was inside the lantern. Wirt never figured out what happen after that, because he woke up in the river and he rescued his brother, and they were taken to the hospital. Wirt and Greg made a full recovery, Greg didn't appear to remember what happened, but Wirt did. He figured that he would never remember even as he grew up. It was better that he forget. That all occurred six months ago. That event was behind Wirt, but that journey would still leave a mark on him.

But Wirt had to focus on the present now. School was close to letting out and he was looking forward to a great summer. Wirt was never very outdoorsy, he preferred to spend his days indoors, curled up with a good book, thinking up new poems, practicing his clarinet. That's what he preferred. It was better than trekking outdoors, getting poison ivy, getting lost in the forest, getting sunburned. Taking walks in the park were okay, as long as it was a nice day and the sun was out. But still, Wirt found solace in the libraries and bookstores that scattered the town.

Walking towards the window, Wirt rested his chin on his palms, gazing up at the midnight blue sky dotted with stars. The moon loomed over the sky, hidden behind a layer of mist. Thinking back to his adventure in the Unknown, Wirt wondered whether people would believe him or not. If he told someone, they would think he was crazy. That was the drawback. People never believed stuff like that. To them, it sounded like something out of a horror novel. Now that it crossed his mind, Wirt got an idea of some sort. Poetry was his strong suit, but maybe he could write something out of his near-death experience, throw in some poems and limericks, and he could possibly publish this into a horror fiction novel. It sounded good, now all he had to do was find someone willing to publish it.

Since he was only two years away from college, Wirt had already picked his major: creative writing, with art as his minor. He was great with a pencil. Give him a sketchbook and he could draw elaborate sketches of whatever caught his eye. A beautiful sunset, a tree on a hill, things he imagined in his head. Maybe Wirt could make a graphic novel based on his adventure in the Unknown. The story could sell millions of copies, and artists were known to make a lot of money, art being something that not everyone can do. Wirt figured he would have to be the one to show the world who he truly was.

Sighing, Wirt was about to turn away when something caught his attention. Wirt's eyes protruded. A red streak crossed the sky like a spear. It certainly didn't look like anything Wirt had seen before. It wasn't a shooting star, so he couldn't label it as one. Shooting stars didn't look that way, not red, and they don't exude a glow around them. Wirt watched it knife its way through the night sky. He had to be seeing things, because Wirt swore that the red streak was flying down. At the angle it was going, it seemed like it was going to make its descend in the forest. Whatever it was, Wirt watched it until he saw the explosion of red light. Witnessing this was like seeing something from a sci-fi movie. It gripped him so much that it was hard to not go and see where it landed. It was already late, his brother went to bed an hour ago, his parents were probably still up. It wouldn't hurt to just take a quick peek.

Grabbing his boots, Wirt sprinted over to his door, slowly opened the door and quietly tiptoed down the hall. The stairs were next to his room, so he had to be careful; the second stair on the bottom creaked. Instead of walking he slid down the stairs on the railing. Holding his boots with one hand, Wirt quietly tiptoed to the front door. Opening it slowly, Wirt leaped to the other side and again slowly closed the door. Slipping his boots on, Wirt looked towards the street and broke off in a sprint.

* * *

The way to the forest was to go through the cemetery, jump over the stone wall, but this time he had to walk down the train tracks to get to the road leading into the forest. Wirt did those exact things and found himself face to face with the treeline. With his fists clenched at his sides, Wirt ignored the fire igniting in him. Images of the Beast flashed through his mind. With a deep breath, Wirt drowned his fears and walked.

The forest was modest, clear, and archaic. Its canopy was contested by elm, hemlock, and hawthorne, and twinkling lights bursting through their crowns allowed for a motley of sprouts to control the bitter leaves on the ground below. Curving climbing plants dangled from most trees, and a mishmash of flowers, which grew all over the place, stood out against the otherwise monotonous terrain. A variation of beastly noises, most of which were prowling animals, echoed in the air, were in harmony with the occasional sounds of breaking twigs beneath the feet of larger animals.

Since that near-death experience Wirt had been wary of his surroundings. Although much more mature when compared to boys his age, he still had that teenaged confusion, wonder and fear about the world and what it meant. Out of the corner of his eye, something whooshed by swiftly. Maybe it was his eyes playing tricks on him, Wirt had to stay on the path to find the thing that fell from the sky. He did the calculations on his way over here. The red "star" streaked through the sky, and landed somewhere in the west part. Following the path, Wirt quickened his pace, intent on avoiding any animals.

A red light emanated ahead. This must be it! Wirt took off running, his excitement rushing through him like a tidal wave. The light shone more brightly, whatever it was it was out of this world. As Wirt got closer to the red light, he saw animals surrounding whatever was on the ground. They looked like they were looking down at the thing that crashed. Wirt stood before the clearing and regarded the animals around him. There were two deer, a raccoon, three squirrels, an owl on a branch and a badger. The animals didn't seem to notice or show fear towards Wirt. If they felt his presence, then they didn't want to run away, but beckon him to approach. Wirt stepped into the clearing and looked at the crater. It was about the size of the ones he'd seen in pictures of the moon. It was about three feet wide, and the red light was finally dimming. Wirt knelt and glance down, eager to see what fell from the sky.

He saw a pair of a red wings, but there was no way this was a bird, at least not a mundane one. These wings were huge, about twice the size of any eagle he's ever seen. Wirt decided to take a closer look, so he jumped into the crater. That was when he noticed a pair legs underneath the red wings. Then he saw a pair of arms, and that was when Wirt saw a mess of red hair. Whatever it was, it was not human. Crouching down, he touched the creature's wings. The feathers were thin as paper and softer than silk. Curiosity rising, and with the animals' gaze boring into him, Wirt placed his hands under the creature and turned it over.

Wirt found himself unable to take his eyes off this creature. Looking at his face he saw that it was male. Whoever he was, he eclipsed even the most handsome man. His red hair fell to his shoulders in elegant waves. His skin was whiter than the snow, and even though the moon was hidden behind the trees, he seemed to glow like the moon itself. Wirt examined his wardrobe. His whole attire was of the same midnight blue: his coat, his top, his slacks, his boots, which reached his knees. Wirt also noticed the miniature silver stars that dotted the bottom of his coat. It was only until now that he realized he was an angel. The only thing Wirt could think was how beautiful he was.

The badger sidled over to the angel. Wirt glanced up when the owl's hoot resonated in the air. Its protuberant amber eyes bored into Wirt's, as though beckoning him to approach. With fear and fire coursing through him, he nonetheless reached out with his right hand, about to touch the angel when the angel's eyes snapped open. Jumping back, Wirt watched as the angel sat bolt up, eyes wide in shock and confusion. The animals watching got startled by the angel's awakening, and they retreated into the woods. When he was sure they were gone, Wirt turned his attention to the angel. Only now did he finally notice the angel's eyes. They were bluest blue he'd ever seen. They were blue, like sapphires. Blue like the ocean. Gazing into them made Wirt want to drown in them forever.

The angel looked back at Wirt with confusion than fear. Though there was some fear in him, Wirt had to try to calm him.

"Hey," he said, reaching out a hand to him. The angel backed away, wings unfurling. The expanse of them made Wirt stop, but he tried nonetheless. "Please, I just—" Wirt crept closer to the angel, but the angel just as quickly backed away, hyperventilating. This was getting nowhere, he was going to be here all night at the pace he's going. But still, he had to patient with him.

"Just try," said Wirt, outstretching a hand. The red-haired angel looked at Wirt's hand, unsure what to do. He looked at Wirt and back, breathing evenly. Feeling his own fear slowly dissipate, the angel looked at Wirt's hand and reached his own. The angel grasped Wirt's hand with such force that he was sure something bad would happen if he let go.

"See?," said Wirt, calmly. "It's okay."

The red-winged angel looked at Wirt, blue eyes glimmering. Wirt smiled reassuringly, curling his fingers around the angel's ivory white hand. Looking at him in the faint moonlight, he wondered what else might happen now that he met this angel. And who was this angel exactly? But he knew one thing: meeting this angel would lead to an unimaginable adventure.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's chapter two. ^_^ I thought I'd never get this finished. *wipes forehead* Phew. Well, I'm here now, so let's get you clued in. **

**So, Wirt meets an angel and he hides him in the cemetery. Hey, it was all I could think of at short notice. *puts hands on hips* Besides, back when I first came up with this story, my idea was to have Wirt take the angel to his house. But then I got to thinking and realized how dumb that sounded. So I changed it where Wirt hides him in the cemetery. It was either that or leave him in the forest.**

**We also get to know the angel's name in this chapter. :D **

* * *

Wirt stood before the cemetery gates. Row upon row of once white obelisks were now gray from the years of wearing down from the elements. He took a breath and entered. Scanning the tombstones, he recalled the spot where Sara, Jason Funderburker, Kathleen, Rhondi and his other classmates were having their storytelling back on Halloween. He remembered when the police officers scared them, and Wirt and Greg jumped over the stone wall and jumped on the other side, where the train tracks were. Wirt shuddered as he remembered that moment.

Wirt's objective was the mausoleum. It was where he hid the angel he met last night. Getting him here was somewhat easier than encountering him. After gaining his trust, Wirt took the angel back the way he came: walk down the path he took to get to the forest, then climb up the hill to get to the train tracks and then continue walking until they got to the wall, where the cemetery was on the other side. Climbing over the wall wasn't necessary; the angel picked him up and flew him over to the other side. Spotting the large mausoleum, which was the first thing he saw, he took the angel there and he's been there the entire night.

Standing before the iron door, Wirt gripped the handle. It was still unlocked. Last night, the door was locked. Wirt considered picking the lock with a rusty nail until the angel used his telekinesis to unlock it. Impressed, he told the angel to stay in there until he came back. Wirt spent all day at school wondering about the angel. Where he came from, why he came here. Of course, Wirt knew he came from Heaven, but he still wanted to know the reason why he fell from Heaven. Biting his lip in resolve, he gripped the door handle and swung the door open. The creaking from the door startled the angel on the other side, who stood up, wings unfurled. It startled Wirt as well, but he grabbed his bearings and stepped inside.

"It's okay," he said. "It's just me." The redheaded angel folded his wings crisply against his back.

Wirt walked over to the stone bench. Sitting down, he looked at the angel and said, "Please, sit." The angel, not sure how to respond, sat down next to Wirt. The feathers from the angel's wingtips brushed Wirt's arm.

"My name is Wirt," said Wirt. "What's yours?"

The red-haired angel took his time answering, as if he had a knife to his throat.

"My...name...is...Ereyon," said the angel. This was the first time Wirt's heard him speak. Ereyon's voice was silvery; soft and clear, like a bell. It was pleasant to listen to.

"Ereyon," said Wirt. Now that he knew the angel's name, Wirt rehearsed his next question. "What...happened? How did you end up here?"

Ereyon looked at Wirt for a second then glanced away, despondent. He looked down at the floor, anywhere then at Wirt's face. He looked as though he were being judged, and perhaps he was. But he was asked a question and he didn't want to leave Wirt hanging.

"I...I rebelled," said Ereyon. Rebelled? This sounded interesting. Wirt decided to listen intently.

"Go on," encouraged Wirt. He tried not to sound pushy, but he did say it with sincerity. Ereyon looked at him once again before continuing.

"I rebelled," repeated Ereyon. "My life in Heaven is not what you'd imagine. My main job was to watch over the earth with the other angels. At first it was fine, but over the eons, I got sick of just watching. I wanted more, I wanted freedom. I wanted to experience the earth and its splendors."

"Why would you want to be one of us?," asked Wirt. "You angels are perfect. You don't doubt yourselves. You don't make mistakes."

Ereyon looked at Wirt like the boy had called him something hideous.

"Perfect?," said Ereyon. "Perfect. Like a marble statue. Cold. Obedient. Flawless. Free of dents. Standing in a straight line." There was bitterness in his voice. "But when all of a sudden there's a dent in that perfect, flawless straight line, all of a sudden Heaven has to do something." This was the part where it all got excruciatingly hard for him. "All of Heaven tried to rewire me and make me forget about my desires to live amongst the mortals. But I managed to flee before they could catch me." He looked down at to he marble floor. "And then I ended up here."

Wirt looked at him for a moment, wondering how to respond to that.

"I...I'm sorry," said Wirt after a while. Ereyon surprisingly didn't react negatively.

"Tis alright." Ereyon replied. "I know it won't be bad living here because I've met you."

Wirt smiled, acknowledging that he had just complimented him. The boy also thought it was a pleasure encountering him. Not all humans get to meet a real life angel, and one so beautiful at that.

"Do you still have your other abilities?," asked Wirt, genuinely curious to know. He hoped that fall didn't damage him too much.

"I believe so," said Ereyon. To test it, he held out a hand and concentrated. Wirt watched with bated breath, excited to see what he might do.

Nanoseconds later the iron door swung open. Wirt jumped, heart thumping against his chest like a drum. Then Ereyon used his powers to close the door again. The two looked up at the skylight. Ereyon held his up arms, and his eyes suddenly glowed a pale blue. The skylight opened, a daft breeze wafted in. Wirt chuckled, impressed. Perhaps the fall didn't do too much damage to Ereyon. He seemed to be displaying his powers without struggle.

"This is amazing," said Wirt. Ereyon was now levitating three small rocks that were just littered on the floor.

"It is indeed, isn't it?," said Ereyon. His eyes stopped glowing an he set the rocks down.

Suddenly the two heard someone lurking outside the mausoleum.

"Oh no," uttered Wirt, standing up. Ereyon also stood, hearing the footsteps come closer. Wirt faced Ereyon. "What do we do?"

"I know," said the redheaded angel. He pulled Wirt close to him and folded his wings around him.

Wirt looked over his shoulder and saw a transparent blue veil surrounding both him and Ereyon. The door swung open, the cemetery groundskeeper stepped in, scanning the inside of the mausoleum. The way he eyed the place, it was as if he couldn't see Wirt and the angel. Whatever Ereyon was doing, it worked; the groundskeeper couldn't see them. After a few minutes, the man exited the mausoleum, closing the door behind him. The transparent blue veil vanished and Ereyon let Wirt go. Standing before him, he saw how tall the angel really was. He was about 6'2" at the most. It fascinated Wirt. But remembering that they were almost exposed prompted Wirt to leave.

"I have to go," said Wirt, turning around.

"Will you come back?," asked Ereyon, who sounded genuinely worried. Wirt looked over his shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'll be back tomorrow," he replied.

Placated, Ereyon folded his wings, knowing his friend would return. Wirt opened the iron door, creaking as he closed it. He wondered whether he should tell someone to fix it. Then he remembered if he did that, they would know he was in the mausoleum. For now, he was going to keep Ereyon's existence a secret. Until the right time came, he would keep quiet. But who would he tell about Ereyon first? Greg? No, he was loquacious and would tell everyone. Sara? She was understanding and would promise to keep quiet. Jason Funderburker? Wirt couldn't believe he thought of him. What would a person like him have anything to do with an extraordinary angel like Ereyon? No, Wirt was sure he should only tell Sara about Ereyon. That was the best thing to do.

The sun was starting its descend, Wirt noted. He looked around the cemetery, making the groundskeeper was gone before leaving. He couldn't risk being caught. After a good inspection, Wirt walked down the path. Looking back at the mausoleum, he wondered if Ereyon would be alright by himself for one more night. He lasted one night by himself, making it another night would be a cinch. It was a good thing tomorrow was Friday. Wirt could spend more time with Ereyon by then. As he left the cemetery, Wirt wondered what he should do on Saturday? Should he convince him to leave the cemetery and spend the day with him in town? It sounded like a good idea, but Wirt wondered how he would react to modern technology. He'd been watching over the world like he said, maybe he picked up a few social skills by that time. But how would Wirt explain him to everyone who sees them on the streets? More importantly how would they react to an angel walking amongst them in broad daylight? Wirt had good ideas, but thinking them through was the hard part. He wondered how he would get Ereyon to humans as he made he made a right turn and made his way back home.

* * *

Wirt made it back home without drawing any attention to himself. The streets were quiet, as always. A few passersby strolled by him, none of them paying any attention to him, or bothering to look twice. This was fine with Wirt, as he wasn't usually very social. He liked being around peers and friends, but sometimes he would get lost in his own world, tangled in his thoughts. Most of the time he tried not to think about the Beast and the other people he met in the Unknown. He wondered how Beatrice was and her family. Then he thought of Lorna and the Woodsman. How were they after Wirt's influence on them?

He stood on the front porch, watching the sun set, it'd gotten lower when he started his walk home. Thinking about what would come in the following days, Wirt turned around and took out his house keys. He pulled out the silver one and slid in into the keyhole. Once unlocked, Wirt opened the door where he was greeted by none other than Greg.

"Hiya, Wirt!," cheeped Greg. "Where you been?"

"Ah, just out for a walk," said Wirt. He didn't need to tell him about his visit at the cemetery, and if he slipped up, he would just say he went to visit their grandmother's grave. That was a legitimate reason.

Greg held his arms out. Wirt knew the cue and picked him up. With Greg in his arms, he carried him to the dining room, where their mother, Jeannette, was setting up the table.

"Hi, Wirt," she said, as she set a plate on the table.

"Hi, Mom," said Wirt. He sat Greg on the chair, which was next to his. He always made sure to get the chair next to Wirt. "Uh, Mom," said Wirt nervously.

"Yes, Wirt?," said Jeannette.

"Can I... Can I invite a friend over this weekend?"

"Oh sure, Wirt," said Jeannette. "Who is it?"

"He's new," said Wirt as he took his seat next to Greg.

"Is he a new student at your school?"

_Say something! You don't have to tell her the whole truth._

"Uhhh...yeah..." uttered Wirt. "Yeah, he's new! I just met him today at school. He didn't know anyone and so I talked to him."

"That's very good, honey," said Jeannette.

Footsteps were heard down the hall, it was Edward. Edward, Greg's father and Wirt's _step_father.

"Hey hey, how is my favorite family?," he greeted his usual greeting. He gave both his sons ruffles on the heads. This got a giggle from Greg.

"Hey, Ed," said Wirt, looking down at the floor. Even though Wirt got along with him fine, he still didn't call him "dad." This was alright with Edward, who didn't actually mind.

Jeannette brought in the casserole, tonight's dinner. As she served each person their plate, Wirt got to thinking. Should he bring Ereyon tomorrow night or on Saturday? Saturdays there was no school, so there was nothing wrong with that.

"So, your Mom tells me you're inviting a friend over," said Edward. This pulled Wirt out of his thoughts. He glanced up, just noticing the casserole in front of him. He picked up his fork and took a bite.

Nodding, he spoke after swallowing. "Yeah," said Wirt. "He's new in school. I hope that's okay."

"Oh sure," said Edward, taking a sip of his milk.

"Is your new friend foreign?," asked Greg, mouthful of the casserole.

"Uhh...yeah. You could...say that," responded Wirt, trying not to get grossed out by his brother's chewing with his mouth opened.

"Is he from France?," asked Greg. "Does he know the Eiffel Tower? Does he eat crepes? Does he like race cars?"

And there he went. Greg went into motormouth mode. Wirt groaned, knowing he wouldn't shut up about this. He wondered if Ereyon tolerated children as much as he did. Meeting Greg would probably be too much for him. Wirt just hoped he had a backup plan. Not just for him, but also for Ereyon.

Until tomorrow, Wirt would just have to be patient.

* * *

**Not bad for the second chapter. ^_^ Let's see what happens in the next chapter. Don't go away. ;) **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three is here! 8D I started working on this on Thursday and finished it just now. I wanted this to be the best chapter ever. :D **

**In this one, Ereyon ventures out of the cemetery for the first time since he fell. With Wirt's encouragement, he is able to get out there**** and blend in. ^_^**

**Ereyon meets Wirt's parents and his brother Greg. :) Let's hope Ereyon doesn't stun them too much. XD I've been giving things away too much, I'm sorry. I'll try to disguise things better next time.**

* * *

The cemetery was quiet, like Wirt expected. He ambled past the rows of tombstones, on his way to the mausoleum. Grabbing at his backpack's shoulder straps, he looked in both directions to make sure no one was nearby. Luckily, no one was around. It was just him. Wirt skipped music class to check on Ereyon. Besides, he was good at clarinet. He could make the International Crescendo Music Awards Competition in no time. Upon reaching the mausoleum, he opened the door and walked inside.

He found Ereyon sitting on the stone bench. He looked up at Wirt with curious eyes. Wirt strolled up to the angel.

"Hey there," said Wirt, taking off his backpack.

"Hello, Wirt," said Ereyon. He eyed his backpack. "What do you have there?"

"Well, seeing how you've been in here for about two days, I figured you'd be hungry." Wirt unzipped his backpack and pulled out a plastic snack bag containing sliced apples. Ereyon looked at the bag with burning interest. "Do angels eat?" Wirt asked.

"We don't necessarily need to eat," replied Ereyon. "Though sometimes we enjoy having a taste of manna from time to time."

"Manna?" Wirt raised a brow. "That's the food of Heaven, isn't it?"

"That's right," replied Ereyon, beaming. "Manna is neverending. And made to perfection."

"Wow," said Wirt. He sat down next to Ereyon, opening the plastic bag and taking out an apple for himself and nibbled on its sides.

"Um, I would like to try one," said Ereyon.

"Oh, here." Wirt handed him the bag and the angel took an apple. He raised it to his lips and took a small bite.

"Mmm. This is very delicious."

Wirt took another apple, contemplating how to word his next sentence.

"Ereyon," he said, after eating his second apple. The redheaded angel looked at him. Wirt wrung his hands nervously, hoping he wouldn't get mad. "Listen, don't get mad at me, but...I might have..."

The angel looked at him quizzically. He blinked his eyes. "What is it?," he asked, trying to sound soothing.

Taking a deep breath, Wirt folded his hands together, and continued. "I...I told my parents that I'm...bringing a friend over this weekend." He cleared his throat. "And that friend...is you."

Ereyon's eyes went wide as saucers.

"Did you tell them about my...?" He unfurled his wings, a look of panic on his face.

"No." Wirt replied.

Ereyon looked calmer but still a little flummoxed.

"I..." Wirt paused. "I told them that...you're a new friend from school."

Ereyon furrowed his brow.

"I-I...I..." Wirt looked away, feeling a tide of guilt. Of course, he was feeling ashamed about lying and revealing it to an angel. To his surprise, Ereyon put his hand on Wirt's shoulder.

"It's all right," he said. "I'm not mad at you, rather I'm relieved—that you didn't reveal to them that I was an angel."

"I'm actually relieved, too," said Wirt. Then he looked down at the floor and came up with his next question. "And now the hard part: how are we going to get you out of here without giving you away to the humans?" He glanced back at Ereyon. "How are we going to hide your wings?"

"That does prove a dire problem," said Ereyon.

"Can we cut them off?" Wirt queried innocently. Ereyon bristled.

"No! Absolutely not!" He was ready to unleash the full extend of his powers right there and end Wirt's existence.

Getting the point, Wirt shrank back. "Ooookay," he muttered. Then another idea sparked. "Can't you make your wings invisible or something?"

Ereyon thought for a moment. "There is a way," he said. He looked around the mausoleum as though they were being watched. "I've never tried it before, but there is a way for me to blend in with the humans without my wings being seen."

"What is it?" Wirt asked, ears perking.

"It's these," said Ereyon, rolling up his sleeves. That's when Wirt saw the silver cuffs around his wrists.

"What are those?" Wirt lifted a finger, about to reach for the cuffs, but Ereyon motioned for him to back away.

"Don't touch them," he said, "these can cut through your flesh like red hot knives."

"Good to know." The boy darted his eyes nervously. "So what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to take them off," said Ereyon, rubbing his wrists. "These cuffs are linked to my wings. And once I remove them I will no longer have my wings."

"That's...good to know." Wirt replied, darting his eyes from left to right.

Ereyon grasped the cuff on his right wrist and squeezed it. He slid the silver cuff off with ease. He did the same with the left cuff. The moment the second cuff was removed, the second his red wings disappeared in a puff of red sparkles.

"Whoa," cooed Wirt. He got up on the bench and looked at Ereyon's back. He touched his back to see if there were any bumps, any traces of the wings.

"Here," said Ereyon, "let me remove my coat." He stood up and slipped his coat off his body. This is the first time Wirt's seen him without his star-dotted coat. He had a lithe form. He had muscular arms, befitting a street fighter. Ereyon wore his midnight blue top, which had no sleeves and had buckles on his front. Wirt touched his back. Ereyon's top looked like it was made of silk, as the same with his coat.

"There's nothing there," said Wirt, feeling around the spot where the wings used to be.

"Incredible, isn't it?" Ereyon complimented.

"Exactly."

Ereyon put his coat back on, feeling lighter without his wings weighing him down.

"So, um...," began Wirt. "About coming over... Do you want to come with me now or do you wanna wait until tomorrow?"

The angel pondered that for a moment. "I...I'd like to go with you." Ereyon replied. "Take advantage of my new wingless state."

"Okay then it's settled." Wirt stated. He grabbed his backpack and jumped off the stone bench. He looked at Ereyon's silver cuffs, which he still held in his hands. "What are you going to do with those?," he asked, pointing at them.

The angel looked at him, pondering what to do with them.

"You can't leave them here," reminded Wirt, "someone might find them and steal them."

"I'll take them with me," concluded Ereyon. "Here, let me put them in your bag."

"Oh right." Wirt unzipped the pocket on the front side of the his backpack. Ereyon dropped them in and the boy zipped it closed. "Let's go," said Wirt, strapping his backpack over himself.

They exited the mausoleum. Ereyon shielded his eyes from the sun, having been inside a mausoleum for two days. He blinked a few times before his eyes settled to the sunlight. The angel gazed at the rows and rows of headstones, feeling a flutter in his chest where his heart would have been. Being an angel he could sense the presence of the dead and this was a beacon for it. Wirt pulled out the snack bag he had and took out another apple.

"Want some more?" He held the bag up for the angel.

"Sure," said Ereyon. He took two slices while Wirt took the last one for himself.

"By the way," said Wirt, "I might have told my parents you were a foreigner."

"In this case, I _am_," stated Ereyon. He wasn't wrong.

"Right." Wirt thought for a moment. "Do you speak any languages aside from English?"

"All angels can speak every language known to man," replied Ereyon proudly.

"Great," remarked Wirt. "Let's stick to you being French. Is that alright with you?"

"_Oui, mon ami_," quipped Ereyon in a teasing tone.

"I have no idea what you just said."

* * *

Walking to Wirt's house wasn't as hard as it looked. It was the possibility of being spotted that worried Ereyon. Even though he didn't have his wings at the moment, there was still the chance of garnering unwanted attention. Luckily for him there weren't a lot of people out, seeing how it was nearly sunset. On the way to Wirt's house Wirt helped him rehearse the coverup story for Wirt's parents. So far, it was going along great.

"So, you're name is...," Wirt trailed off, waiting for him to finish the sentence.

"Ereyon," said the angel.

"And you're from...,"

"France."

"And you're in..."

"Three of your classes."

"We met in..."

"English class."

"Your parents..."

"Died when I was a child."

"You live with..."

"My aunt and uncle."

"Who..."

"Work in accounting."

Wirt scratched the back of his head. "I really hope this works," muttered Wirt, worry lacing his voice.

"I'm sure it will," assured Ereyon. Wirt shrugged, not sure whether to believe him or not. He looked up ahead.

"There's my house," said Wirt, pointing. Ereyon glanced up.

The two walked up to the house, which was quaint to Ereyon. It was a run-of-the-mill two story suburban house, nothing glamorous or extravagant, but it was home. Wirt and Ereyon stepped onto the porch.

"I don't know about this," said Ereyon.

"We could just cancel," said Wirt. "I can say that you had other plans."

"No, no," insisted Ereyon. "I want to do this."

Wirt took a deep breath, hoping for the best, he opened the door. Wirt was the first to enter. Ereyon was more tentative, seeing how he was entering a human dwelling and feeling the unease take over him. Either way, he stepped inside, looking around the house, from the stairwell to the ceiling. He acted as though he was being watched.

"It's okay, it's okay," said Wirt, clapping him on the shoulder. Ereyon looked at him, calming down.

"Wirt!"

They both turned and saw Greg run up to them, or rather, towards Wirt. The little boy jumped into Wirt's arms, who then picked him up off the floor. Greg let out a few giggles before noticing their visitor.

"Who's that?," asked Greg excitedly.

"That's..."

"I'm Ereyon," said the redhead.

"Ereyon?" Greg mused. "Cool. I like your name. Sounds fancy."

Wirt put his brother down. He watched as he ran into the kitchen, calling for their mother.

"He's quite a spitfire, isn't he?"

"You haven't seen nothing yet," quipped Wirt, raising a brow, arms crossed. Within seconds, their mother, Jeannette, came into the foyer with Greg ambling behind her.

"This must be your friend from school," she said. She held out her hand. Remembering what Wirt told him on the way, Ereyon took her hand and shook. It paid off that he listened to his coaching.

"My name is Ereyon."

"Ereyon?" Jeannette said. "That's a beautiful name. I'm Jeannette, Wirt and Greg's mother. My husband will be down soon, he's just finishing a phone call upstairs. As soon as he comes down we'll have dinner."

"That sounds lovely." Ereyon said.

Jeannette drifted back into the kitchen. Greg tugged on Ereyon's sleeve.

"Wanna help set the table?"

"Greg, he's a guest," reminded Wirt.

"No, I'd love to help," said Ereyon to Wirt. He looked at Greg and smiled, waiting for him to lead the way. Greg walked him to the dining room. Wirt followed.

Once entering the dining room, Jeannette already had some plates. She was surprised when Ereyon offered to help, which she let him.

"That's so polite," said Jeannette.

By the time the table was set, Edward was already making his way to the dining room. His eyes fell on Ereyon.

"What a surprise," he said impressively. "Is this the friend you told us about, Wirt?"

"Ehhh...yeah." Wirt responded, apprehensively. "This is..."

"Ereyon!," cheeped the redhead, shaking hands with Wirt's father. The man was taken aback by his charm.

After Jeannette brought in the roast, they all sat down for dinner. Ereyon took a seat across from Wirt, so that talking to him would be easier. Only, the redhead interrupted before they got eating.

"Aren't you all going to say grace?"

This left everyone stumped.

"Well, it's just..." Ereyon thought of something legitimate to say. "...we always say grace in my home." He looked at each person sheepishly.

"Well," said Jeannette, "if you want us to say grace, we can." She looked at her husband. "What do you say?"

"I think that's a swell idea," said Edward, nodding. He looked over at Wirt. "Wirt, would like to start us off?"

"Uhhh...okay." Wirt darted his eyes on both directions. As he put his hands into prayer mode, he said, "I've never done this before...how do you want me to...?"

"Just say what comes naturally," said Jeannette gently.

Wirt mulled it over.

"Um...," said Wirt, clearing his throat. "I am thankful for this meal we are about to eat and I am grateful for Mom, for making it." He fumbled for words on the next sentence. "And I'm thankful for Dad." He forced a lot of emphasis on the word dad. "And I'm grateful to have Greg, who always lightens up my life."

Greg giggled, knowing he was being acknowledged.

"And," said Wirt, "I am grateful for my new friend, Ereyon."

"Amen," said Edward.

"And I'm thankful for snow days!," chirped Greg, raising his fork. "Because with snow days we don't go to school, and we get to play in the snow! And—and—and..."

Dinner went accordingly. When asked about himself, Ereyon told them what he and Wirt rehearsed. He was careful to not slip up and reveal himself as an angel. Wirt's parents were charmed by his politeness and good manners. And were even surprised by his fluency in French. Greg continued to ask him random questions about himself, specifically where he was from and what were his likes and dislikes. Ereyon was happy to answer his questions, which worried Wirt a little. If Ereyon revealed his secret, then it was all over. But things seemed to be going swimmingly. Ereyon talked about himself, and Wirt's parents were charmed by his pleasant personality.

As soon as dinner was over Ereyon offered to help wash up, but Jeannette insisted he'd helped enough and told him to go up to Wirt's room and get settled in. Greg followed them upstairs.

"So, about my question," he said, strolling beside Ereyon. "Which tastes better, frog legs or escargots?"

"Escargots," replied Ereyon.

"Oh," said Greg. "I'll have to try them sometime."

"Are you sure, Greg?," asked Wirt. "You may not like them."

"It's just snails," said Greg. "They'll probably taste squishy."

Wirt and Ereyon entered Wirt's bedroom. Greg insisted on joining them.

"Can I join, too?," he asked with wide eyes. "Please?"

"Uh, I don't know," said Wirt. "This is a sleepover for big kids."

"I'm a big kid!" Greg cheeped.

"Yeah, but you still sleep with a nightlight," retorted Wirt. "And you still sleep with a blankie." He have him a smug smile.

"Um, uh..." Greg scratched the back of his head. He turned around, making his way to his room, dumbfounded.

Once Greg was gone, Wirt closed the door to his own room.

"Sorry about that," said Wirt, chuckling. "He just doesn't know when to be quiet."

"He's quite a motormouth," said Ereyon, nodding. He looked around Wirt's room. He liked the color of the walls. The soft green looked sharp against the lamplight.

"I think I still have my sleeping bag in here somewhere," said Wirt, walking over to his closet.

While he was detained with that, Ereyon explored the room. The bookcase grabbed his attention, scanning the titles and covers. Two books grabbed his attention: _Loneliest King_ and _Light in the Seeker_. Ereyon yearned to reach out and take them. He felt like he shouldn't, considering these were not his to touch.

"You can read them if you'd like," said Wirt, turning around. He was holding a rolled-up sleeping bag.

"Oh, no, I couldn't," said Ereyon.

"Come on, I know you want to." Wirt raised his eyebrow smugly. Ereyon looked at him and at the books. Seeing no other way he took both books out of the shelf. Wirt chuckled, watching the redhead walk over to the window, sitting down crisscrossed.

"Those are actually good books," said Wirt, pointing. He decided to join him. He unrolled the sleeping bag and laid it out on the floor. "You'll like that."

"I'm sure I will," said Ereyon, opening the book _Loneliest King_. The other one rested against the wall beside his left.

Wirt crawled up to his backpack. He unzipped the front pocket, catching a peek of the silver cuffs.

"The cuffs are right here," he said, facing the wingless angel. Ereyon glanced up from his reading. "If you want to leave them here, or store them somewhere else."

Ereyon put the book down. "Oh, um..." He scanned the room, having enhanced sight, he looked in every corner. "How about there?" He pointed to a small round box sprawled across the floor across from the writing desk. Wirt spun around and reached for the box.

"This?" Wirt held the box and opened it. There was nothing in there, just an empty box. It was small enough to hide Ereyon's cuffs.

"Yes, I think my cuffs will be safe there." Ereyon reached into Wirt's backpack and took out his silver cuffs. He dropped them in the round box. Closing the box, Wirt searched for a place to hide the box. He focused his attention to his closet.

"I'm gonna hide the box here," said Wirt, walking up it the closet. He glanced up the shelf, looking for the darkest spot he could find. "In there," he said. He put the round box in the far right corner. He picked up a sweater and laid it over the box. "There, now no one will find it."

"That's very resourceful," commented Ereyon.

Wirt joined Ereyon back at the window. He had his sketchbook with him. Ereyon eyed the sketchbook curiously, and Wirt opened it to the first page.

"Those drawings are beautiful," cooed Ereyon, eyes wide. The drawing Wirt showed him was a detailed sketch of a forest path. It captivated the redhead so much that he closed the book he was about to read to look at Wirt's sketches.

"You made these yourself?," queried Ereyon in captivation.

"Yeah," replied Wirt, trying to conceal a blush.

"You're very talented." Ereyon turned to the next page and was twice as captivated. "What is this?" He pointed at the drawing.

"That?" Wirt leaned forward. "That's a comic I made. It's about these two friends who get lost in the woods and meet some strange friends along the way."

"Sounds fascinating," said Ereyon. "Do they find their way out?"

"They do," responded Wirt. He didn't speak after that. Ereyon gave him a concerned look.

"Is something bothering you?" Ereyon closed the sketchbook, thinking Wirt's troubles were more important than his drawings. Wirt shrunk back. The redhead looked at him, flummoxed.

Wirt was caught in the middle. He didn't know whether to say something or not. His encounter with the Beast still aggravated his mind. It wouldn't hurt to tell someone about it, and it was relieving to know that he was talking to an angel about it. Because from what he'd read angels are understanding and empathetic. Being around Ereyon will be okay.

"Well," said Wirt as a start, "it all happened six months ago..."

And so Wirt told Ereyon about his near-death experience. Everything. He explained in great detail about his encounters with the people of the Unknown. He told him about Beatrice, the Woodsman, the schoolhouse animals (though Wirt wasn't sure if he should've mentioned that part). Wirt also told him about the Beast, the tall silhouetted antlered humanoid. Ereyon was enthralled when Wirt explained how he faced him with the dark lantern. How he tried to sway him to carry the dark lantern. The boy's near-death experience captivated the angel to no end.

"And then," said Wirt, "before I knew it...I woke up and saved my brother and we swam out of the river. My friends found me and they called an ambulance, and my brother and I were taken to the hospital. I don't remember much, as much as I'd like to." He looked away, resting his chin on his knees. He couldn't look Ereyon in the eye, in fact, he couldn't look at him any way at all.

"My, that's terrible," said Ereyon. "You've been through so much. You _and_ your brother."

"Oh, Greg will be fine," uttered Wirt. He turned around and faced Ereyon. "He won't remember this when he's older. _I_ have to carry this for the rest of my life."

"But the important thing is that you survived," reminded Ereyon pragmatically. "If you hadn't, you and I wouldn't be talking right now."

"You got me there."

Ereyon thought. "..." He closed his eyes. "You're one of the bravest humans I've met."

Wirt found he couldn't work his mouth. "Uh...I don't know about that," he said after a minute of thinking.

"I mean it," said Ereyon genuinely. "You've done what no other would have done. And that's coming from an angel."

"True." Wirt smiled.

Ereyon looked around, wondering what he should do now. "What do we do now?"

"I dunno," said Wirt, shrugging. "I've never had anyone over before."

"First time for everything," quipped Ereyon. He peeked out the window. "It's getting dark, shouldn't you be getting ready to sleep?"

"Ah, I'm not tired," replied Wirt, picking up his sketchbook. "It's Friday, tomorrow there's no school."

The redhead cocked an eyebrow, not understanding human habits. Wirt quickly changed the subject.

"Hey, tomorrow...wanna come into town with me?" The boy put a lot of emphasis with his question, as if he had to try his best to convince the angel. To his surprise, Ereyon was on board with his idea.

"R-Really? You mean it?"

"Definitely."

"Then, yes!" Ereyon chirped. "I would love to go explore the town with you. It's sounds exciting."

Wirt chuckled.

The two stayed up talking. The conversations mostly consisted of Wirt asking Ereyon questions about Heaven. The angel was more than happy to answer any question he had. It gave him something to talk about. The more he talked about it, the more Ereyon showed signs of homesickness. Wirt understood, missing a place he hated and now longing to return. By the time their conversation ended, Wirt was already getting sleepy and Ereyon urged him to turn in for the night.

"Do angels sleep?" Wirt asked as he got into bed.

"We don't have physical bodies like you humans do," replied Ereyon. "We have limitless energy and never get tired."

"That must be great," commented Wirt.

The redhead smiled sheepishly. "I may not need sleep, but I'll keep watch in case...in case anything happens." He tried his best not to sound like what humans called "creepy."

"Thank you." Wirt laid down, pulling the covers to his chin. Ereyon laid down on the sleeping bag, enjoying the softness.

"I'll stay quiet, so I don't wake you," assured Ereyon.

"Goodnight," said Wirt. "Oh! Could you turn off the lights, please?"

"Certainly." Ereyon snapped his fingers and the lights were turned off. Wirt had expected him to do it the human way, but this way was better. He kept that in mind as he laid on his left side and closed his eyes, sleep finally taking over him.

Ereyon grabbed the copy of _Loneliest King_ and opened it to the page he left off, eager to read this story to the end.

* * *

**So far, so good. Things seem to be panning out for Wirt and Ereyon. :) Let's see what happens in chapter four. Don't go away. ;) **


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry that chapter four is late. *counts on fingers to make sure I'm right* Yeah, it's chapter four. So I had a lot going on, not to mention another fanfiction I was trying to finish. But other than that I managed to complete this chapter.**

**In this one we see Wirt and Ereyon heading to the city. If any of you are wondering, yes, Sara and Jason Funderberker do appear in this story later on. They'll eventually meet him, I don't know when, but they will. For now, just enjoy this chapter, as I put a lot of work into this. **

* * *

Around midmorning, after breakfast, Wirt got dressed and he and Ereyon left the house. True to his word Ereyon did not sleep at all; he stayed up the whole night and read those two books. Wirt was impressed. The red-haired angel assured that he didn't need to worry about him. Despite Wirt's concern, he was nonetheless appeased.

"What did you say to your brother to make him stay home?," asked Ereyon.

"I told him that big boys don't pee themselves in the lunch line," replied Wirt with a mischievous grin, displaying pride.

Ereyon burst into giggles. "Really?"

Wirt nodded. "He was waiting in the cafeteria and his friend, Francette, told him a joke and he laughed like crazy and he just peed himself in front of everyone."

"He must've been embarrassed," quipped Ereyon.

Wirt chuckled.

The two continued walking along the sidewalk. Ereyon wore his coat over his outfit, hoping it would make him look less like an ornament on display. Wherever he looked there were some people outside: mostly children playing in their yards, or riding their bikes; some joggers sprinted past them; a few middle-aged adults sat in their porches, watching the day unwind. It was a pleasant neighborhood without a care in the world. It made Ereyon feel good inside.

"Where are we going exactly?," queried Ereyon.

"Well," said Wirt, "I really wanna buy this book I've been wanting. _Visions of Path_ by Jules Murray."

"Will it be a good book?" Ereyon raised a brow.

"I'll let you read it after I'm done," replied Wirt. Ereyon smiled.

The two stopped at a bus stop. The redhead watched him pulled out money from his pocket. "Okay, I have enough for the bus," said Wirt. "Now we have enough to buy my book and to get back home."

"Will it be enough?," asked Ereyon.

"It's enough."

"Are my wrist cuffs safe? Did you remember to hide the box?"

"It's safe, don't worry. No one will ever find them."

Ten minutes later the bus rolled in. The two hopped on, Wirt payed for the both of them. He and the redhead took seats on the right side of the aisle. As the bus drove away from the neighborhood, Ereyon kept his attention at the window. Seeing how he was never on a bus before, it all must be new to him. Everything was new to him: the sights, the surroundings, the sounds. Wirt hoped he would adapt well to the human world as well as coming up with a plan to get him to return to Heaven.

Wirt didn't want to think it, but he wondered how long Ereyon would stay. He couldn't possibly stay forever, even though it sounded like a good idea. It sounded good, but that didn't mean it would be good for everyone. Heaven's missing an angel and he was keeping him from returning.

"Hey, I never thought to ask," said Wirt. Ereyon looked at him. "How long...do you plan on staying here?"

Ereyon's blue eyes protruded. He couldn't find the words to articulate.

"Mm. Well..." The redhead glanced down at the floor. "I didn't exactly make a plan..." His shoulders slumped. "I know that some angels might come searching for me."

"And if they do?" Wirt questioned.

"I'll try to convince them to change their minds," replied Ereyon. He looked around the bus, hoping no one was listening. Luckily, the bus wasn't nearly full. Only a few people were on board; about ten people were scattered here and there: two seated diagonally behind them; three seated in the front; and the last four were in the back.

"And if you can't?"

Ereyon didn't answer. He looked away, ashamed. Having Wirt judge him was worse than God judging him.

"Then...I don't know."

Wirt continued to observe him. He could see that he didn't want to talk about Heaven or returning. Up until now, Wirt didn't think about Ereyon returning to Heaven. He thought he would have him by his side forever. The reality was, it would last for as long as Wirt needed Ereyon. Once Wirt no longer needs him, Ereyon would have to go. He was alright with that, but he wasn't sure how the angel felt.

He knew when to end the conversation and instead concentrate on today's agenda.

By the time the bus rolled in Ereyon's eyes were filled in wonderment. As soon as Wirt hopped off the bus, he caught his amazed expression, letting out a chuckle.

People walked by them, giving Ereyon interested glances. He knew that his towering height and clothes made him the center of attention, even when he didn't want to. Car horns resonated in the air. Cyclists rode by. Children holding their parents' hands. Teenagers in their cliques. Men, women; young and old. Ereyon was surrounded by living human beings. And he loved it.

"It's wonderful," said Ereyon, his eyes gazing from skyscraper to skyscraper.

"Yeah," smirked Wirt, raising an eyebrow. "Come on, the bookstore's this way." He pointed to the street across from them.

Ereyon trailed behind him, like a lost puppy. He stayed close by when they crossed the street. Watching bikers pedaling past them left his eyes swimming and head spinning. He almost forgot what he was crossing the street for.

"Ereyon!"

Ereyon heard Wirt's voice and sidled over to him, unable to contain his excitement.

"Sorry," retorted Ereyon. "I'm just so excited. I've never been around so many humans."

"Makes you feel like you're one of them?"

"Exactly!"

Wirt kept his eyes peeled for their destination. He passed a bakery, a real estate agency, jewelry store...the bookstore!

"There it is." Wirt stood before the building. The bookstore was two stories tall with a sign that said "Epitome Books" in bold letters painted a cobalt blue. He and Wirt entered the bookstore. Wirt couldn't shake off that amused look from his face. Ereyon's eyes scanned every bookcase in stock. Every book, every title. People meandered through the place, not paying much attention to Ereyon or Wirt.

"Come on," said Wirt.

The redhead followed Wirt down an aisle of bookcases. Ereyon looked at the sign which read "nonfiction." Real-life stories. The book Wirt was searching for was a fictional story, so he scanned the bookstore for the fiction section. This was when he finally noticed the spiral staircase; it was in the very center of the room. The two made their way upstairs. Ereyon had garnered a few glances from girls mostly. He didn't mind, but he wished he were one of the mundane.

"It's got to be here somewhere," uttered Wirt, head twisting in every direction. His eyes spotted a sign that read "fiction." He and Ereyon ambled through there.

"Is the book here?" Ereyon asked. Blue eyes scanning the top shelves. Having enhanced vision had its ups and downs when you're an angel.

"It's got to be here." Wirt crouched down and looked through the bottom shelf. Then he looked in the middle part. "Let's see... Miller... Morris... Murray!"

"Did you find it?" Ereyon quipped.

"Yup." Wirt pulled out the book he had his eyes on. "Here it is." He showed the cover to Ereyon. It had the title _Visions of Path_ in white letters. The cover displayed a dark tree tunnel with a light at the end of the road.

"Looks fascinating," said Ereyon, studying the book's cover. "I do hope you enjoy it."

"So will you once I finish it."

"Do we have more time?" Ereyon looked like a child asking for a sweetmeat. "To look around?"

"We have time," responded Wirt. "There's plenty to explore around."

The redhead didn't know where to start. His head swished in both directions, blue eyes ever alert. He spotted a book whose title grabbed his attention. He walked over to the bookcase next to them and pulled it out. _The Spellchild_ by Dave Hendricks. The cover showed a blond girl surrounded by white light, grey eyes boring into Ereyon's as though she knew he was staring at her.

"That looks interesting," commented Wirt, catching a glimpse of the cover. The redhead nodded. "You know, I can buy it for you, if you'd like. Have something to entertain you in the mausoleum."

"Oh, I couldn't have you—"

"No, really, I—"

"But I don't think—"

"I insist—"

"No, your needs come first."

"Come on, I know you want that book." Wirt insisted. He was quite perceptive, Ereyon had to admit that. The redhead had nothing to hold on to but his tongue.

"Alright," said Ereyon, holding the book up to his chest.

"I knew you'd come around."

The two made their way back downstairs, books in tow. Wirt was lucky he had enough to pay for both books. He wondered whether he had enough for the bus home. If he didn't, he was already regretting leaving Ereyon's silver cuffs back home. Once the books were paid for, he and the redhead traipsed out of the bookstore, the books in a plastic bag.

"Where to now?" Wirt mused.

"Wherever you want to go." Ereyon retorted.

"Okay," said Wirt, scanning the streets, "let's go over here."

Ereyon followed Wirt across the street to the right. Wherever they were going, the redhead was going to enjoy every minute of it.

They walked two blocks from where they arrived. Passing a few buildings, mostly small businesses like flower shops and candy stores. They made a right and kept going straight.

"I can see it from here," said Wirt. "We're almost there."

"What is?" Ereyon tilted his head.

Walking past the bustling street, Ereyon could see a structure up ahead. A statue maybe. Crossing another street, the redhead saw the site for himself. It was a fountain surrounded by lion statues. The fountain itself took up almost all of the plaza. People on the fountain's edge, taking pictures, throwing coins into the water, some feeding the pigeons that milled about.

Wirt found a spot to sit by the fountain: a lone wooden bench. Ereyon sat next to him, keeping his eyes on two teenage girls walking on the fountain's edge. He observed how they held their arms up to keep their balance. Once they made it to the other end they jumped off. Ereyon then noted the coins in the fountain.

"Why do humans throw money into the fountain?"

"For making wishes." Wirt replied.

"Wishes?"

"Yeah."

"Is throwing coins in a fountain the only way to make wishes?" Ereyon asked.

"No," answered, peeking at the fountain, "some people wish on a shooting star. Others on a dandelion. Some make wishes on birthday candles, but that's specifically _for _your birthday. The point is you make a wish, but it's yours alone; no one else can know."

"Why?"

"Because if you say your wish out loud, it won't come true."

Ereyon though for a moment. "That does seem to make sense," he said. His expression told Wirt otherwise. Whether he understood or not, he was making the effort to relate to Wirt's human side.

A few yards away, two girls—a redhead and a blonde—no older than sixteen, smiled and giggled. They were looking at Ereyon, and it didn't take long for Wirt to figure out that they were flirting with his friend.

"Pst," whispered Wirt, elbowing the redhead, "those two girls are checking you out."

"Huh?" Ereyon looked at him confusedly. He obviously didn't understand the term and continued giving him a blank look. Wirt grasped at anything to make him understand better.

"They're flirting with you," he said, trying to make the situation less awkward. Ereyon's confused glances only made the situation more embarrassing. "They're...they're courting."

Ereyon's expression changed from confused to surprised.

"Wha... What do I do?" Ereyon asked, trying not to look back at the girls.,

"Try...try giving them a smile?" Wirt offered.

The redhead angel fumbled and came to sporting a sweet, sensual smile, like a male model's. It was eased, relaxed and it melted the hearts of the girls who gawked at him. The girls walked away giggling, smitten. Wirt watched them until they were no longer in sight.

"If you were human, you'd be bachelor of the month." Wirt chuckled, quirking a brow.

"Is that a good thing?"

"A really good thing"

Ereyon didn't know how to respond to that, but he took his word for it. Wirt looked over past the fountain, at the water pouring into the stone cistern. At first nothing happened, but then Wirt spotted something—or rather someone. Two someones. Sara and Jason Funderberker.

Wirt's heart raced. He grabbed the plastic bag and got up, dragging Ereyon by the wrist.

"Let's get out of here!" Wirt hooted

"What's wrong?" Ereyon inquired.

"We just have to get out of here."

Wirt dragged Ereyon through the plaza, swiftly threading through the crowd. Ereyon found it hard to keep his head straight, but understood that Wirt needed to leave. They crossed the street, ran down the sidewalk, passed six buildings and finally found a hiding spot in an alley. Wirt crouched behind a dumpster with Ereyon hunkered beside him. Wirt held the bag to his chest, breathing even deep breaths. The redhead observed him curiously. Whatever his reason for leaving was, he hoped Wirt would talk about it.

"What's wrong?," repeated Ereyon. "Why did we need to leave?"

Wirt finally caught his bearings and began to speak. "I," he began, "I saw two of my classmates."

"And?" Ereyon looked at him confusedly.

"I...I didn't think this through," he said. "I didn't think of an explanation in case my friends saw you." He took a deep breath before continuing. "The plan was to tell my parents that you were a friend from school, but I didn't think of anything when I run into my friends." He slapped his forehead, then plunked his head onto his knees. "I'm so stupid."

"That does prove dire." Ereyon shrugged and hugged his knees.

"I hope they didn't see us." Wirt muttered, glancing up.

"You ran out of there like it was Armageddon," said Ereyon. "I doubt they saw you."

"You might be right," said Wirt, "but I don't want to take my chances. I'll still have to come up with a bunch of excuses."

"I'm starting to think being out here isn't such a good idea." This drew attention from Wirt. "Sneaking around and lying. I don't know if I can take it."

"We can't have everyone knowing you're an angel," reminded Wirt. "Everyone will loose their minds. If we tell someone, then they'll tell their friends and they'll tell theirs and then the whole world will know."

"It sounds better that way than lying about it." Ereyon held his breath. "But when you think about it, it doesn't sound so pleasant." Crossing his arms, he looked away, brow furrowed. "I want to please everyone until realizing I have to think of taking care of myself."

"That's true," said Wirt.

"What are we going to do?"

"For now, let's just try to avoid anyone I know, or know me. Can't come up with a lot of lies all at once." Then, in a teasing tone, "You _could_ just go back to Heaven."

Ereyon's eyes protruded. "No! Absolutely not." He bristled like he was about to be internally examined. If he had his wings flared, he would look a million times more frightening.

"Okay, okay, I was just kidding." Wirt let out a chuckle, which didn't placate Ereyon and the boy's chuckles receded. By then it was time to leave the alley. Wirt dug into his pocket and counted his money. "We still have money to get us through the day," he said, glancing up. "Where do you want to go next?"

"Anywhere," was Ereyon's reply.

Standing up, Wirt wondered where their next destination will take them.

"Come on, let's get something to eat."

Ereyon rose to his feet and followed Wirt.

* * *

The bus ride home was as exciting as when they took it to get to the city. The sun had already starting setting by the time they hopped on. The two had a productive day: Ereyon wandered among humans, and Wirt was happy to show him around. Looking over his shoulder, Wirt saw that there weren't a lot of passengers on board. Including him and Ereyon, there were five passengers. This was alright with both of them, mainly for Wirt.

"How did it feel to be one of us?" Wirt asked. It took Ereyon a while to come up with an answer.

"It felt marvelous," he said, not sure of his choice of words. "I felt like I belonged, like I was welcomed." His eyes lit up as he spoke, bringing a smile out of Wirt. "I really enjoyed myself."

"Good for you." Wirt beamed. "I'm glad you had a good time; nothing like a day out of that mausoleum." This brought up another question, which could be saved for later. The two reached their stop.

As soon as the two hopped off the bus, Ereyon was already yearning for the wonders of the city. But he might have more days to travel to the city and see more amazing things.

"At least we got something to keep you entertained." Wirt held the plastic bag up with the two books.

"Oh right," chimed Ereyon. "I can't wait to see what _The Spellchild_ is about."

"I'll lend you _Visions of Path_ once you finish that one," said Wirt.

"Oh definitely." Ereyon beamed.

The streets were quiet as they walked to Wirt's house. The people who were outside earlier were no longer in sight. The sun was setting, the night was closing in, everybody was preparing themselves for bed and for the beginning of a new day.

"So, um, anything you want to do tomorrow?" Wirt asked as a conversation starter. "We can head to the city again, if you'd like."

Ereyon thought for a moment.

"Or we can stay in at the mausoleum," suggested Wirt.

"No, no," replied Ereyon, "I'm not ready to go back yet."

"So what do you want to do?" Wirt asked. "There's a park near my house; we could go there."

"A park?"

"Yeah." Wirt perked up. "We can go there, take some food with us, have a picnic."

"I would love that very much."

"Great, so we'll head for the park tomorrow." Wirt said. "I just hope none of my friends see me."

"It'll be all right, Wirt," reassured Ereyon. Though Wirt would lie to believe that's true.

Wirt saw his house and he and Ereyon raced each other for the door. Wirt reached the door first and he opened it with Ereyon playfully tugging at her sweater. Their laughter resonated from the foyer, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Hey boys," said Jeannette. "Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah, Mom," responded Wirt. "I bought that book I wanted, and I bought one for Ereyon."

"That's very sweet of you, honey," said Jeannette, smiling. "Well, wash up, boys; dinner's on the table."

"Okay, we'll just take these up to my room and we'll be down in a minute."

Wirt and Ereyon thumped up the stairs. They made a break for Wirt's room and locked the door. Dropping the bag on the bed, Wirt opened his closet door and reached for the shelf. He pulled out the the sweater bundled up and pulled out the box.

"Let's see if they're still here," said Wirt, dropping the sweater. Ereyon watched with bated breath.

Wirt opened the box and saw the silver cuffs there. Wirt let out a breath. Ereyon's cuffs were still here and his friend's secret was safe. Everything was alright.

"Oh good, no one found them." Wirt closed the box again. He twisted his head in every direction. "Let's find a new hiding spot."

"How about up there?" Ereyon pointed to the top of the bookcase. Wirt quirked an eyebrow.

"I don't know, it seems too obvious."

"How about under the bed?"

Wirt looked over. It seemed like a far-fetched choice, but he was willing to try anything at this point. Wirt dropped to his knees and slid the box deep under the bed, reaching the farthest corner he could to make sure no one would find it. With the box safely hidden, Wirt stood up and made his way for the door.

"Come on, let's head down for dinner," he said. "Mom made my favorite: Salisbury steak with mashed potatoes."

"Sounds wonderful."

* * *

**Hope you guys enjoyed this, because chapter five will be on its way. ^_^**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry this chapter is late, I was busy, not to mention having lost my internet for two weeks, but I'm here now and chapter five's posted, thank god.**

**I'm glad that people are enjoying this fanfic. Here I was thinking people wouldn't like it, but I was wrong. *blush* I like the interaction between Ereyon and Wirt's family, especially with Greg. Hey, Ereyon's an angel after all, and he tried his best. **

**This time off away from the internet really helped my creative juices flow. ^_^**

* * *

The next day at noon Wirt and Ereyon made the ten block walk to the park with a picnic basket in tow. Only this time, Wirt's parents and Greg were accompanying them. Along the way, Greg chatted up a storm, directed at Ereyon. The redhead raptly listened as Greg prattled about race cars and frog hunting. Jeannette and Edward smiled fondly at their son's playfulness. And it reassured Wirt that nothing was wrong.

It was better that it be just the two of them.

Wirt saw the park up ahead, just cross the street and find a quiet spot for the both of them. As usual, Ereyon looked around with curious eyes. Children played on the playground: some played in the sand; others played games like tag or hide and seek; a few swung on the swings. Two dog walkers strolled by Wirt and Ereyon. One of the dogs—the Maltese with black fur—turned back and barked at Ereyon, drawing attention from Wirt's parents. The dog's owner, a woman with blond hair, pulled on her dog's leash to halt him.

This prompted Jeannette and Edward to intervene.

"Good boy, Benny," she said to her dog. She looked at Ereyon, in the hopes of making nice. "Sorry, he usually doesn't bark at people."

Ereyon was about to respond when Wirt jumped in.

"That's okay," he said, smiling sheepishly, standing in front of Ereyon. "We don't mind it at all."

"Here boy!" Greg cheeped, waving a hand. He held out his hand and the dog sniffed it, distracting the dog from the redhead.

The woman, satisfied with her dog calming down, waved goodbye to them and continued with her walk, her dog no longer needing to sniff out Ereyon's scent.

Placated, Jeannette and Edward, along with Greg, walked off to the park in search of a vacant table. Ereyon and Wirt, walking behind them two inches away from them, kept a watchful eye on the three, hoping they didn't hear him as he asked his next question.

Wirt tried to keep his voice low. "Do you think that dog knew you were an angel?"

"Animals are more perceptive than humans," replied Ereyon, almost in a whisper. "They have a sixth sense, so there's no doubt about that canine seeing my angelic aura."

"Wow."

Traipsing through the park, the group found a quiet spot: a lone picnic table on the far side of the playground. Behind it was a thicket of trees. The perfect spot away from prying eyes and be alone and enjoy the silence. Ereyon stood, eyes scanning the skies, the trees. Wirt sat down across from Greg. The picnic basket was placed on the table. Opening the basket, Wirt pulled out his book, _Visions of Path_.

"How's _Visions of Path_ coming along?," asked Ereyon.

"Great," said Wirt, opening it to the page he left off. He was already on chapter two. Wirt started reading it last night. "You can sit down if you want."

"No, no, I'm alright standing."

"Hey, Ereyon," chirped Greg, "wanna play chase?"

"Uh, um..."

Something hit Ereyon on the back of his head. He turned around and saw a yellow frisbee on the grass. The players, four teenage boys, looked back at Ereyon.

"Hey!," said a blond boy. He was about the same height as Ereyon. "Mind throwing that back? We're in the middle of a game."

"Oh sure." Ereyon picked the frisbee up and threw it back to the blond, who caught it with one hand.

"Um, hey, you wanna join us?" he asked. Ereyon blanched.

"Yeah," said one of the other boys, a brunette, with hazel eyes.

"Hey, can I play too?" Greg chirruped.

"Well?," said the blond holding his frisbee. "You coming or what?"

Ereyon stood, torn between the two. Looking at the players and at Greg and back again, the redhead bit his lip in resolve. "I... I'll join you," he said, eyes closed. "Let me just take my coat off first." And Ereyon slipped his blue coat off, folded it and place it on the picnic table.

"You can bring the little guy," said the blond, pointing at Greg. He turned to the table and locked eyes with Wirt. "And that one over there."

Wirt jerked his head away from his book, eyebrow raised.

"Wirt, do you want to?" Ereyon inquired.

"Uh..." Wirt was cut short by his mother who chimed in to conversation.

"That sounds like a good idea," she said.

"Wha... Mom!"

"Yeah, Wirt!" Greg hooted. "Come play."

"Hurry up!," shouted the blond, growing more impatient.

Seeing how leaving them waiting won't make this situation better, Wirt closed his book and stood up. "Okay, I'll play," he replied.

"Yay!" Greg clapped his together.

Wirt, his brother and Ereyon joined the group for their game of frisbee. Wirt was less than enthusiastic, but he obliged for his brother's sake.

"I'm Joel, buy the way," said the blond holding the frisbee.

"Pleasure," said Ereyon. "Ereyon."

"And I'm Greg!," chirruped Greg.

"Hi, Greg," said Joel.

The game commence with the group spreading apart to make more room and make the game more challenging. Joel readied himself and threw the frisbee at Ereyon.

Ereyon, not understanding the rules of the game, caught the frisbee clumsily before it flew past his head.

"Hey! I'm open!," shouted the brunette, waving his hands.

Awkwardly, Ereyon calculated the angle and threw the frisbee the same way Joel did. The brunette ducked when he saw that the frisbee was going to hit him in the face. Luckily, he did a spin and caught it before it flew off.

"Over here, over here!," chirped Greg, waving his arms and jumping up and down.

"'Kay, here it comes."

The brunette threw the frisbee kind of gently. Since he Greg was smaller than the others, it seemed fair it make it easier for him.

"Hey you, in the back!" Greg called, focusing on the tall, black-haired teenage boy standing far.

"My name's Byron," said the black-haired boy.

"Yeah." Greg threw the frisbee, which went flying past Byron, prompting the teenager to go get it. "This is fun!" Greg cheeped. Wirt was beginning to think the game was going to get vapid in an instant.

The game went on for about an hour and a half. Wirt was actually enjoying himself; this beat reading a thousand times over. It didn't matter that Wirt chased after it a few times, he was having a good time. Ereyon, being new to this world, found enjoyment in the game and found he had a knack for it. Joel, Byron and their other two friends liked Ereyon, which the redhead in turn recipocrated. Joel was about to ask Ereyon for his phone number when Wirt ended the conversation by stating it was time for lunch. The conversation was over and Ereyon, Wirt and Greg walked back to the table.

"Did you see me?" Greg asked his mother.

"Yes, I saw you," said Jeannette.

"Yeah," uttered Wirt, "you were on fire."

Ereyon blinked, but calmed down after realizing that it was just an expression that meant getting excited.

Wirt opened the basket and dug around for a certain smack. He pulled out a sandwich sealed inside a plastic bag. It was turkey ham and cheese with mayonnaise. His favorite. While the others grabbed their lunches, Jeannette revved up to ask Ereyon a question.

"So, Ereyon," she said, "what do you wanna do after high school?"

"Pardon?" Ereyon glanced up as if he didn't hear.

"After high school," repeated Jeannette. "What are your plans? Are going to college or get a job?"

Ereyon's face fell. Wirt nearly choked on a piece of sandwich. He chugged down a swig of apple juice to wash it down. Clearly, he'd forgotten to coach Ereyon on that subject, too.

"Um, well," spoke Ereyon. "I don't know yet." He took out a sandwich from the basket, unzip it from the plastic bag and took a bite, hoping this would end the conversation.

"Well," began Edward, "whatever it is you choose, it's your life and yours alone."

The redhead looked up, uncertain. There were no words to back up his statement.

"What do you like to do?" Jeannette asked.

"Well," said Ereyon, "I...I like to help people."

"That's good," said Edward. "You could be a doctor, or a counselor. Or you could be a life coach. Or a psychologist. The options are endless."

Ereyon still didn't look convinced but he tried his best to look interested.

"Whatever you choose, you'll be great at it," said Jeannette. "I mean, Wirt already chose what career he wants."

"Yeah," said Wirt. "I want to be a graphic novelist."

"Right," retorted Ereyon. "I've seen his drawings. They're really amazing."

"You should post those comics in your school's newspaper," interjected Edward. His statement hit a soft spot and Wirt shut down.

"Uhhh...," was the only thing Wirt could muster.

"Well, I already know what I wanna be when I grow up!," chirped Greg, leaning close at the table. "I wanna be an astronaut. I wanna go to the moon, and then—and then, I'll want to meet aliens. And then I'll bring them over to have sleepovers and—and..."

Wirt shook his head, chortling. He's got an imagination. Gotta love that.

Ereyon looked down at the ground, at his feet, at anything but their eyes. It baffled him that they would treat him like a human, and yet, that was what he wanted. But he still felt cut off, separated from the world. Like he was in a glass tube and he didn't exist. In Heaven everyone did what they were told. No one questioned anything. Just a perfect straight line with no dents. Perfect. Obedient. Ready to take orders. No room for imperfections. Snuff out that dented imperfection.

Here in this realm, everyone accepted each other regardless of what imperfection they had. Their imperfections are what make them unique. That was the whole purpose of their existence. To show that their imperfections made them worthy of living. What is someone to you when their can't reach their full self-worth? Ereyon's lived through many centuries, and he's seen chaos run amok. Sabotage. Theft. Tragedy. Death. And yet he's seen beauty flourish in the darkest of places. He's seen good in every nook and cranny. There was sadness and happiness, anger, and fear. Humans felt them all in their shades. And Ereyon applaud them for that.

He wished things in Heaven were like Earth.

* * *

"That seemed to go well," said Wirt.

"Yes," said Ereyon distantly.

Wirt crouched beside his bed and searched for the box. While he waited, Ereyon turned to the desk and picked up his copy of The Spellchild. He'd be going back to the cemetery after tonight, and after that, he'll have this book to keep him company. He would have to take his time with it.

"Here it is," said Wirt, sitting up. In his hands was the small box. Inside it were the silver cuffs.

Ereyon looked at the box for a moment. "Thank you," he said. He walked over to Wirt and crouched beside him. He opened the box and took his cuffs, looking at the glare they gave off. It wasn't time to go back yet, and he couldn't risk giving himself away in broad daylight in front of the humans.

"Mom says you can have dinner with us if you'd like," stated Wirt, closing the box and placing it on the floor. The redhead looked at his cuffs before putting them in his coat pocket.

"I'd like that," said Ereyon. He looked down at his book, the girl's eyes boring into his like she could see something past him. Ereyon credited whoever painted the cover art for _The Spellchild_.

"Also," said Wirt, tentatively, "mom asked me to ask you when your aunt and uncle can come over got the house for dinner."

Ereyon stared dumbfounded. Therein lied another problem. Who was going to pretend to be Ereyon's supposed aunt and uncle? Apparently, neither of them rehearsed an explanation for this possible question. They were at a dead end and neither of them found a way out.

"What should I say?," asked Ereyon.

"Just say that your aunt and uncle are busy all the time," said Wirt, "and that you're always on your own."

Ereyon blinked.

"It's an easy answer," replied Wirt. "It's believable and no one asks any further."

"I'll take your word for it," answered Ereyon.

Wirt rose to his feet and made his way to the door. Before he opened it, he looked over and said, "Oh, and, Mom says you're welcomed any time."

"Tell her I said thank you."

"I will."

* * *

Wirt walked with Ereyon to the cemetery, the sun having already gone down to allow the night to rise. Wirt's parents allowed him to walk Ereyon back home so long as he made it home in time before nine thirty. Only half an hour before his curfew and then it would be lights out.

The street lamps were already shining their lights, lighting the way for the two friends. It was a good thing no one was around. Hardly anyone walked at night. At least not alone. Not that Wirt ever walked alone, late at night. He hardly went out and he only knew what he'd heard about from word of mouth.

He looked at Ereyon. It would've been safe for him to put on his cuffs and allow his wings to show themselves, but he couldn't risk giving himself away. Neither of them could handle being spotted by some random stranger. So he decided it was best to wait until they made it the cemetery.

Wirt glanced up and saw the cemetery gates up the street. Just a few more steps. He and Ereyon looked at the gates. _Eternal Gardens Cemetery_, it read in black iron letters.

The two traipsed in. There were no sounds, no howling, not even the hooting of an owl. Venturing into the cemetery at night was different than what he's read in horror books. It was a different experience. Wirt couldn't get over the feeling that he was being watched. This being the cemetery and all the urban legends he's heard, he didn't see a reason why there wouldn't be something out there, watching, waiting to attack. Having Ereyon here made him feel safe. If there was something out there, Ereyon would handle it.

Meandering through the path to the mausoleum was a challenge at night. Ereyon probably had a special night vision, but Wirt was a human with human eyes. It was a good thing for Ereyon's abilities or they would have gotten lost.

Wirt grabbed the door handle and tried to unlatch it. It was unlocked. He was glad it was. He opened the door, the dreaded creak resonated. He peeked inside, seeing nothing has changed. He stepped inside and Wirt waltzed in after him.

Ereyon placed his book on the stone bench and rolled up his sleeves. Reaching into his pocket he took out the silver cuffs. The redhead slid the cuffs back onto his wrists. Once the left cuff was placed, the red wings appeared in a burst of blue sparkles. It left Wirt blown away.

"You sure you're going to be okay alone?," asked Wirt.

"I'll be all right so long as I stay here," replied Ereyon.

Wirt smiled. "How's it feel to have your wings again?"

"Heavy," retorted Ereyon. "I felt lighter, not having the wings weighing me down. I do miss it, but I can remove them any time I want."

"Yeah," chuckled Wirt. "So, I'll come back tomorrow and see how you're doing." He pointed at the book. "You have that to keep you occupied."

"Ah, right," said Ereyon. "I'll wait for you then."

"Right," quipped Wirt. "Well, goodbye."

"Goodbye."

Wirt closed the door. Turning around, he looked over at the rows and rows of tombstones. He liked how they looked silhouetted against the dark sky. He wondered if the souls of the dead were aware of Ereyon. They probably do. He could figure it out later, right now he needed to get back home, and maybe come up with another strategy for Ereyon's stay here.

* * *

**You know what's great about being away so long? You get to finish two chapters at once. :D I'll have chapter six posted lickety split. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Two chapters in one day! I am on fire! Whoo! *pumps fist in the air* I tell you, it's good to be back. :) Well I know you're all dying to see what happens next, and here it is! ^_^ *does a tap dance***

**Please see the bottom for more details after reading. :D**

* * *

Wirt stood by the cemetery gates, determination setting him off. He's spent the whole day at school avoiding running into Sarah and Jason Funderburker, which didn't go as planned. He talked to them for most of the day. They didn't appear to have seen him in town on Saturday. They didn't ask him who his redheaded friend was, nor did they ask him what he was doing in town. Wirt was safe, they didn't see him, and if they did, he still would've run away with Ereyon by his side.

Today, he was going to visit Ereyon, relish the last few days he had of school and look forward to his summer break. That was his agenda.

Wirt stopped walking when he saw the door to the mausoleum halfway opened. He knew Ereyon never opened the door, so it must be the cemetery groundskeeper. He heard the keys rattling, and as soon as he saw the man creep out, Wirt made a run for it. He dashed for the nearest tree he saw. Hiding behind it, Wirt took a peek. The man was locking the door, but that wasn't what Wirt was focusing on. The man had the book in his left hand. Ereyon's book. The one he bought for him. _The Spellchild_.

Ereyon must have turned invisible, because he only saw the book in the mausoleum. Now that he had it, he knew someone was coming to the cemetery. And if he knew someone got into the mausoleum, he was going to make sure no one would get in unspotted. Wirt was done for.

"What am I gonna do?" Wirt asked no one. He slammed his back against the tree and slid to the grass. Cradling his head in his hands, he wondered what he was going to do now that he was unable to sneak into the mausoleum.

"Wirt?"

Wirt glanced up, eyes wide. Ereyon stood before him, wings unfurled.

"What? But? How?" It was visibly obvious that Wirt was having a hard time processing this.

"I turned invisible before he opened the door," explained Ereyon. "As for your next question, I _am_ an angel after all."

"You got me there." Wirt blushed.

Ereyon craned his neck, looking past the tree. The groundskeeper was walking away with the book in hand and the ring of keys.

"One thing for sure is," began Ereyon, "I can't stay here any longer."

"Where will you stay?" Wirt asked. That was indeed the question. "I mean, there aren't any shelters equipped to take in stray angels that I've heard of."

Ereyon didn't say anything to his remark. Instead, he looked at the stone wall.

"I have an idea," said Ereyon, keeping his eyes on the wall. Wirt looked over his shoulder, at the stone wall. Then he got what he was implying. The forest.

"You mean?," he uttered. Ereyon nodded. Wirt stood up, tugging on his backpack's straps. This was his way of telling the angel he was ready, which didn't need to be verbally said.

The two meandered through the headstones. Once reaching the wall, Wirt was about to climb the tree when Ereyon grabbed him by the waist and flew him over to the other side. Landing on the train tracks, Wirt pressed his hands against the wall, having a bit of vertigo take over him.

"That takes time getting used to," he said breathlessly. Then after a minute he asked, "What about the book? Don't you want to keep reading it?"

"Later," said Ereyon. "Right now, let's just head for the woods."

"You got it."

* * *

The first spot they headed for was the crater, where Ereyon crashed. It was a good thing Ereyon remembered where it was. The redhead was determined to find it and after that, Wirt wasn't sure. But the angel was adamant about finding it.

Soon Wirt was recognizing the trees. He saw these on his way to find Ereyon, then that meant the crater was close by up ahead. The forest was quiet. Exploring the forest in the day was different than at night. At least in the day he could see where he was going, not that hiking by moonlight wasn't exciting, but Wirt wanted to be able to see what was in front of him.

Ereyon's red wings folded against his back. Wirt didn't know what that meant, but he had a hunch that he could sense the crater in their midst. Wirt was the first to stop walking, standing before a clearing. He stopped, not because he saw the crater, it was because the crater wasn't there.

"Where's the crater?," asked Wirt, looking at the expanse of grass and sprigs of flowers.

"It's right here," relied Ereyon.

Wirt stared.

"This is what happens when an angel falls from Heaven," explained Ereyon, "once we touch down"—he motion to the greenery in front of them—"this happens."

Wirt stepped in. He looked at the tall blades of grass. Flowers shot out of the grass, standing out against the large quantity of green. Each one was either orange, fuchsia, red, yellow or white. Butterflies fluttered here and there, stopping every once in a while to catch a taste of pollen. It was truly a magnificent display, like something out of a gardening magazine. This small garden could put all gardens to shame.

"How do you know that if you've never fallen?," asked Wirt, looking over his shoulder. "Until now, I mean?"

"I've heard the other angels talk about it," said Ereyon, stepping into the small circle of a garden. "Idle gossip among vain angels as a way to insult rebels."

"Kind of like yourself," retorted Wirt. Ereyon showed no offense to his comment, but rather he accepted it, because that was what he was.

"We should find a place for you to hide out in," said Wirt, feeling the need to break the silence. "We'd be lucky if we find a cabin, much less an abandoned one."

"And if there aren't?" The angel's wings opened to show off his defiance.

"Then, we'll find someplace else."

Ereyon said nothing, glancing over at the endless rows of towering trees. Their canopies dispersed rays of sunlight.

"Let's get started," he uttered, eyes never breaking away.

Wirt and the angel began their search at once. They began searching at the east, finding nothing but a messy bed of grass, beyond it a perfect line of trees surrounding it like a fence. They saw a deer grazing, glancing up when it felt their presence, or rather, Ereyon's presence. Wirt thought it was a bad idea, but he was proven wrong when the angel spoke to the deer through telepathy. Wirt watched, unable to believe what was going on. After a few minutes, the interrogation ended and Ereyon returned with news. The deer informed him of a cabin on the west side of the forest. It was located near a lake. Wirt had his doubts, but he might as well see it for himself.

The trek to the cabin was spent with the two looking out for any animals. And if animals came, Ereyon would persuade them to leave them alone. Wirt showed visible signs of exhaustion, which prompted Ereyon to stop and rest. The boy was reluctant, insisting on continuing, but the angel was firm in letting Wirt rest for a while. They stopped next to a patch of cedar trees.

As he sat down on ground, Wirt removed his backpack and set it down beside him. He looked up at the sky. The sun would be close to setting, and Wirt would need to head home before nightfall. He hoped finding the cabin would be worth it.

"How did things go?" Ereyon asked abruptly. "With your friends?" It took Wirt a while to figure out a carefully worded answer.

"They didn't ask about me, or you," responded Wirt. He looked up at him. "My guess is, they didn't see us the day we were in town. And I'm glad they didn't."

Ereyon nodded. "A close call, as you humans say."

"Yeah, well..." Wirt gave a small smile and dropped the subject.

The angel's next response got Wirt back into conversation.

"When do you plan on telling your friends about me?"

Either Wirt lost his voice or swallowed his own tongue. He didn't say anything right away, this took him some time to process. He didn't think about this question a lot, but when it did, he came up with a long list of believable answers.

"Well," began Wirt, uncertain, "if, or when that happens, I'll... I'll..."

"You're not sure?" Ereyon deduced.

"Yeah." Wirt nodded, admittedly confessing he had no idea what he was doing. The angel wasn't upset by this and just accepted his honestly.

"It's all right," said Ereyon. "It's a hard topic to talk about. I myself can't come up with any responses."

"True."

"Do you think they would like me?"

"Oh, of course."

"Even if they find out I'm an angel?" Ereyon flapped his wings once before unfurling them to their majestic expanse of velvety redness.

"Um," said Wirt. "Well, it'll come as a shock for them at first. They'll be surprised, they'll wonder if it's a trick or a dream. But after explaining it to them with patience and enough detail, they'll eventually accept you as you are: a friend."

Ereyon, who planned on staying quiet, was suddenly feeling an array of words daring to escape his mouth. What Wirt said made him feel like the possible chance of being accepted as a friend was becoming brighter.

"That's what I want more than anything else." Ereyon beamed.

Wirt smiled. "And it'll happen."

"Do you want to continue walking?" Ereyon queried. "We still have to find the house."

"Yeah," said Wirt as he rose to his feet. He picked up his backpack from the ground and strapped it over himself.

The two continued on their hike.

* * *

Wirt pushed a pine branch away. There was a structure up ahead. The cabin. It appeared homey from where he was standing, but he needed to see it up close. He was happy to find it just in the knick of time. The sky was a faint orange behind a sea of reddish pinkish clouds.

Animals crossed their paths, but Ereyon mentally told them to stand down. Wirt had heard about angels being benevolent creatures, but seeing it was a whole different experience. Watching Ereyon surrounding by forest animals, it made Wirt think of him as a male version of Snow White. It sounded silly thinking it out loud.

Hedges flanked the log cabin. A swing on the porch hung by one chain, the other one snapped in half, so the half of the swing laid on the floor. The windows were covered in years worth of dust. The front door was half open, strangely enough. Wirt wondered how many people came here to have a good time. Wirt and Ereyon went inside.

The inside of the cabin was just as decrepit as it did on the outside. The floor was layered in dust, discarded paper and broken shards of glass. The stairs to the second floor looked like they would fall apart any minute. An armchair laid on its side in the corner of what Wirt deduced was the living room. The couch beside it looked inviting, but Wirt didn't plan on sitting on it. A bookcase stood on the right corner littered with books and dusty figurines.

Wirt spotted a flashlight. He picked it up, and flicked it on, only it didn't shine. He banged it against his palm to get it to work, but nothing sparked.

"The batteries must be dead," he muttered. Ereyon looked over his shoulder. He sidled over to him and held out a finger. He touched the lens, a blue strip of lightning entwined around the flashlight. In seconds the flashlight turned on, and Wirt was able to see better.

"I'm going to take a look around," said Wirt. Ereyon watched him drift into another room. While he waited the angel looked back at the messy displayed living space. Whatever happened here ended up taking a bad turn. He didn't want to think about it too much.

Footsteps approached from behind him. Wirt came back from his exploring. He shielded his mouth with his arm.

"Ugh, whatever you do, don't look in the fridge; it's nasty!," said Wirt through gags. He shined his flashlight to the staircase. "Let's check upstairs."

Ereyon followed Wirt up the stairs, which creaked with every step. He looked down, hoping they wouldn't break apart. He kept his wings folded, to avoid getting caught in the doorway. Wirt shined his flashlight down the hallway. There was a door to their left, another one on the right, and one in front of them. The door was half-open. Wirt looked inside and could discern what must have been the bathroom.

Wirt dashed to the door on his right. Ereyon wordlessly followed him after a minute of pondering. The room they entered contained a bed with old sheets and one pillow with no sham. The window was dingy, and looked like it wouldn't be opened any time soon. The closet on their left had a sliding door. Wirt shined the flashlight: empty except for about ten hangers, but no clothes. He spun around and headed for the dresser. Pulling the drawer open, he started rummaging through it.

"There's got to be some clothes in here that would fit you," he said without turning to look at Ereyon. Then he added, "You can't wear the same thing everyday; everyone will think you're homeless."

"Not anymore," said Ereyon. It took Wirt a few seconds to gather that he meant the cabin he was going to squat in.

"Well, I found a"—he pulled out a swathe of black fabric—"what I think is a sweater." He put on the dresser. "And here's a pair...of pants." Wirt put the denim pants on the dresser. "They look like they could fit you. Some of this has to be washed, I doubt there's anything we can use here."

"I appreciate the help, Wirt," said Ereyon. "I'll be able to find something."

Wirt nodded.

Ereyon peeked out the window. He saw the sun making its descent. He'd forgotten how much time had passed since finding this place.

"I should be getting home." Wirt said, looking out the window. "My parents will probably freak out if I'm not home soon." Then more worriedly he asked, "Are you sure you'll be alright on your own?"

"I'm sure," replied Ereyon. "You should get going, it'll be dark soon."

"Sure hope I don't run into any predators," said Wirt, wincing.

"Oh, don't worry, I've asked the animals to guide you home."

"An animal escort. How 'bout that?"

Wirt made the way downstairs and out the front door. He looked over his shoulder at the upper story window. Ereyon was watching him from the second floor bedroom. Wirt waved goodbye to him. The angel waved back. Wirt looked on to the path ahead. Breathing in a determined breath, he gripped his backpack straps and walked.

* * *

Silence swept the streets as the night stretched from one corner of the town to the next. Wirt had to be careful sneaking out of the cemetery. He was afraid of catching the groundskeeper's attention. He hid behind the same tree he hid in when he saw the groundskeeper leaving the mausoleum. He ducked behind a few headstones to make sure he didn't give himself away. And when he was sure he safe Wirt raced out of the cemetery like there was no tomorrow.

True to his words, Ereyon _did_ tell the forest creatures to watch over Wirt on his way home. A deer walked alongside him. A trio of birds flew overhead, chirping happily. A rabbit hopped by Wirt's right, along with a fox trailing behind the rabbit. Wirt thought that the fox would harm the rabbit, but Ereyon's orders seemed to have a strong hold on the fox.

The animals guided him until he reached the train tracks, which was the animal's cue to leave, seeing how Wirt could make it on his own. Wirt walked on the the train tracks till he saw the stone wall and he climbed over it. He hoped Ereyon would be alright in that cabin.

Today was Monday. The last day of school was Thursday. It was late May and June was rearing its head. Wirt was looking forward to the city breaks, college applications, spending time with Ereyon and balancing all that with his friends and family. If that near-death experience on Halloween wasn't mind-blowing, then being friends with an angel was as mundane as attending school, eating and sleeping.

Wirt saw his house close by. He wondered where his parents will think he was. He would just say he was with Sarah and Jason. It was believable and it wasn't questioned further.

He stepped on the porch, grabbed the doorknob. Surprising, the door was unlocked. They probably left it opened for him, knowing he would be out. Wirt opened and traipsed in.

"I'm home," said Wirt.

"We're in here," called Jeannette.

Wirt hung his backpack on the coat hanger, planning to retrieve it after dinner. He went into the kitchen where everyone was already seated and having dinner. Tonight's dinner was pork chops, potato salad, green beans. Dessert was a double fudge cake.

"You're home late," said Jeannette. "Where were you?"

"I stayed in the school's library to study," relied Wirt as he took a seat. "Then I ran into Sarah and we just hung out, had a soda. The usual."

Jeannette didn't reply right away. Wirt took a bite of his pork chop, waiting for his mother's response.

"Well," said Jeannette after a bite of potato salad, "I'm glad you're studying." She took a sip of milk. "Now that you're here, I'd like to run something by you." She appeared to take to her time on this next sentence that made Wirt a little uncomfortable. "Since it's almost summer break, we were wondering...if you plan on spending it with your father this year."

Wirt almost dropped his fork. It was a good thing he swallowed the potato salad or else he'd be choking on them. He took a long sip of milk. Edward, who had been silent the entire time, looked at Wirt quizzically. He knew about Wirt's situation, but it was never touched upon. Not on a regular basis. Even after the divorce, Wirt went to visit his father who lived in the next town. He used to spent his summers with him, but since Greg came along, Wirt spent less and less time with him. Greg never met the man. To him he was no one at all, but he was told about him by his mother and his brother. When Greg was two years old, Wirt left to spend his summer with his father...and them. His wife, who was pregnant with their second child, and their firstborn child. A boy. His name was James, who at the time was the same age Greg was now. Today he was ten and his sister Aubrey was four and attending preschool.

"Wirt?," said Jeannette, furrowing her brow. She snapped Wirt out of his train of thought. Her son blinked and looked at her.

"No," said Wirt, "I'm not going."

"Are you sure?," asked Edward. This was the first thing he said since Wirt came home.

Wirt looked over at Greg. The boy looked down at the floor, like he was waiting for him to say the opposite of what he'd said. He could see the fear in his eyes. The fear of watching his older brother go off to see his father in a faraway town. He couldn't bear to see Greg miserable the whole summer.

"I'm sure, Mom," said Wirt, firmly and serious.

"If that's what you want," said Jeannette. "Your father misses you, you know."

"I know, Mom, but I'm not changing my mind." Wirt stated, picking at his green beans.

Silence thundered in the dining room, like some unseen force was squeezing the embarrassment out of them. Jeannette, who knew full well the subject needed to be changed, started a new conversation about her shift at the department store, about some woman she caught shoplifting. This got Greg and Edward rapt into listening. Wirt could only hear a few words.

Wirt hadn't seen his father since that time. Now it's been four years, Greg was going into the second grade next year, and Wirt had a secret angel friend living in the forest. Sneaking around behind his parents' backs was better than going to visit his father in the next town. He had to think about how he would say this to Ereyon, or rather, if Wirt planned on telling him. Ereyon was understanding despite that he was an angel. He was a close friend to him as Sarah and Jason were. He just needed him to understand. That's all he wanted. To be understood.

He just hoped Ereyon would be able to make it go away.

* * *

**Headcanon and backstory for Wirt, which will be later discussed in the next chapter. Hopefully. **


	7. Chapter 7

**I got chapter seven up! Wooh! *punches the air* I'm on a roll! All right! XD So anyways, in this chapter we look into Wirt's past, specifically his father leaving him and his mother, and yeah. This is what _I_ think happened, and anybody who disagrees can just walk on out of here. **

**A lot of people have their own ideas and theories and headcanons on Wirt's past. I respect that, and I want to contribute to the OtGW fandom. I'm pretty sure there are other kids out there like Wirt who can relate to this. And, uh, well, heh, I don't know. *blushes* I'll be honest, I didn't think I'd be writing Wirt's backstory in this chapter, but here it is. **

**Well, like always; enjoy the story and don't forget to review. ;) **

* * *

The late afternoon rolled on as Wirt sat in his bed, a pensive look on his face. He furrowed his brow as he looked at a photograph he was holding. It was an old picture of him with his father. He was seven years old at the time; Greg wasn't even born yet. Wirt remembered that day. He was spending the summer with his father that time, and her, his new wife. He and his father spend time going out to eat, going swimming at the pool, going camping, going out to the movies. He had fond memories of him but that didn't change what he did to his mother, and to him.

Wirt gazed over at the sun shining through his open window. An unfeeling light, that's what it was to him. He wasn't changing his mind and he meant it. He needed to be there for Greg. His father could go another year without him. It's not like he was losing anything.

A tap on the window awakened him from his fog. He looked over and almost fainted. Ereyon was at the window, wings beating and a concerned look on his face. Wirt jumped out of bed in a panic and opened the window.

"What are you doing here?" Wirt rasped, hoping no one would hear him. He looked behind Ereyon, at the street. No one was outside, and if they were, they would no doubt about see an angel hovering by his window.

"I wanted to come see if you were all right," said Ereyon. "You haven't come to see me in two days."

Wirt didn't have the time nor the energy to explain it. He just needed to keep Ereyon from being spotted.

"Come inside," he said, moving inside.

Ereyon stepped on the sill and carefully crawled through the window, keeping his wings folded. Once inside, Wirt closed the door and drew the curtains. He saw that Ereyon still had on his angel outfit. Wirt thought he would've put on the clothes he found for him, but he guessed he wanted to keep wearing them to remind himself of Heaven.

"Did you fly all the way here?" Wirt questioned. "In broad daylight? Did anyone see you?"

"No," replied Ereyon. "I turned invisible before I took off."

Wirt was still upset, but nonetheless appeased. He turned around and walked back to his bed, the photo of him and his father still out in the open. He had to hide it before Ereyon saw it. Sitting down, he sighed as he picked up the photo, not caring if the angel saw it or not. Ereyon's senses picked up his distress.

"Sorry I haven't come to see you." Wirt said, not looking the redheaded angel. "I couldn't keep coming home late and I needed to focus on school."

"It's all right," replied Ereyon. "Your needs come first and I'm glad to see you're doing well."

Wirt nodded, a pensive look on his face. That was when the angel noticed him holding something.

"What's that you're holding?," he asked, pointing at the photo in Wirt's hands.

"This," he began, "it's...uh..."

Ereyon watched him tentatively.

_Well, you wanted to tell him. Now's your chance._

"It's a picture of me...," he see-sawed with this next part, "...and my real dad."

Ereyon raised a brow, not understanding. Wirt motioned for him to come over and the angel traipsed up to him and sat next him on the bed. Wirt showed him the photo: it was of Wirt when he was a child and a man, his father, who had light brown hair and hazel eyes. Ereyon noted some features between Wirt and his father. Primarily the faces: both angular.

"His name's Derek," said Wirt. "Derek Garner."

"And...he's..."

"Not dead." That's probably what Ereyon would've wanted, but fortunately for him it wasn't. "I should've clarified this, but Greg and I are half-brothers."

Again, Ereyon didn't understand what that meant. Wirt knew it was time to be honest.

"My parents got divorced when I was five," said Wirt. "My dad...he...cheated on mom..."

Ereyon raised a brow.

"It means he fell for another woman," clarified Wirt, hoping he would understand. He saw that it worked, so he continued. "Her name is Sybil, and she's my...stepmother. She has two kids with him, James and Aubrey. They're my half-brother and sister." He felt a lump in his throat, but he had to keep talking. "I don't know what else to tell you, except that I'm probably the only kid I know with a messed up family."

"I wouldn't say you're the first, but...," began Ereyon, but stopped and decided to hold his tongue.

"Aw yeah?" Wirt arched an eyebrow. The redheaded angel didn't speak up. Wirt knew when it was time to call it quits.

"Continue with what you were saying," spoke Ereyon suddenly. Wirt looked at him, flummoxed.

"Seriously?"

The angel nodded. "Of course."

"You really wanna hear me talk about my life story?"

"Definitely."

"Fine. If that's what you want." Wirt breathed in. "I..." He paused. Memories flooded his head and made him feel lightheaded. "Maybe tomorrow. I don't feel up to it now." He sat up straighter, resting his chin on his knees. "Tomorrow's the last day of school, I'll tell you everything you want to know."

"Very well," replied Ereyon. "I'll wait for you tomorrow, then. I don't want to pressure you into talking about something very personal all at once."

"Also, um," said Wirt, "how are you doing over there in the cabin?"

"I'm alright," answered the angel.

"You want me to come over some time?" Wirt asked. "It'll be summer break anyways, so I might as well keep you company."

"I would like that."

"Where do you wanna meet?" Wirt asked. "Do you want to wait for me in the cemetery, or do want me to walk all the way to the cabin or something?"

Ereyon thought about it for a moment. "Why don't I come back here tomorrow?"

"Are you sure?" Wirt reiterated. "Mom's going to wonder why you're here uninvited."

"... Well, you're right about that."

"Listen, wait for me by the cemetery gates, we'll take a walk from there." Wirt explained.

"Grand idea!," hooted Ereyon. Wirt chortled.

"Okay," said Wirt, "we'll meet up tomorrow." He flopped back on his bed, his brushing Ereyon's wings. The angel folded them tightly against his back. "You wanna sleep over, or do you want to go back to the cabin?"

Ereyon chuckled. "No, I'll be fine. I've got the animals to keep me company." He stood up and traipsed towards the window.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow then," said Wirt, watching him open the window.

"I'll be waiting," retorted Ereyon. He looked at the redheaded angel leap from the window, hearing a flap from his wings. He rose up and walked towards the window to catch sight of Ereyon. Surprisingly, Wirt didn't see him flying overhead of the houses. He must've made himself invisible. And good thinking, too. He couldn't imagine the reactions from people spotting a red-winged angel in broad daylight. Maybe someday, but not today.

* * *

Wirt made the silent walk to the cemetery. It was summer vacation. School was over, he should be happy, but having to keep Ereyon's existence a secret was the hard part. While at school he finally came up with a list of believable excuses to tell people they might run into. He planned on showing it to Ereyon once their conversation was over. And that was another thing.

Why did Ereyon want to know more about him? Wasn't knowing his name enough? But when it comes to meeting new people he had to tell them everything. Maybe not everything, just leave out the traumatic parts. Nobody needed to know that. It was none of their business. They didn't need to know. In a couple of decades, everyone would either remember him or forget him. There would be a handful of people who would remember him, including himself. Wirt often wondered who would remember him. If his graphic novelist career takes off, he would be remembered. Thinking logically, his graphic novel ideas were good, but were they best-selling good? He'd heard talk about writers who cheat and plagiarize and there are some who worked their hands to the bone to get to where they are. Wirt was the former. Escaping a near-death experience wasn't something to sneer at. If anyone believed that. He was going to keep that to himself, and perhaps exercise it through his novels.

He entered the cemetery gates, tearing away from his brooding. Wirt peered inside. The groundskeeper wasn't nearby, but neither was Ereyon. He figured he turned himself invisible and would appear to Wirt when he stepped into the cemetery. Hoping for the best, he walked in.

"Ereyon?" Wirt called out. He made sure not to be too loud to be overheard.

He heard a branch snap in half. Wirt glanced up and spotted a familiar redhead.

"Wirt," uttered Ereyon. His wings were unfurled, but not for long.

"Hey," said Wirt. He watched him roll up his sleeves and remove his silver cuffs. The wings disappeared. Wirt knew the drill, so he removed his backpack, unzipped the pocket and Ereyon dropped them in. Zipping the pocket closed, he and the redhead ambled up the gates.

"Where are we going?" Ereyon asked.

"I've got an idea on that," said Wirt.

They exited the cemetery and the went down the left path. Wherever they were going, Ereyon was ready to see it and was glad his wings were not visible at the moment. There were some children passing by on the sidewalk. None of them noticed or saw Ereyon; all of them lost in their euphoria. His interest piqued when he saw some landmarks that were new to him. He and Wirt crossed the street and continued down that way until they reach an intersection. They headed down the left.

There were no suburban houses here but there were a few shops. Ereyon looked in the windows they passed. He could make out that by looking at them one was a barbershop; the one next to it was a bank; the next one a pawnbroker's shop; and the next one a jewelry store. Wirt and Ereyon walked two more blocks until they reached their destination. The place they reached was a coffee shop. "The Express-O Joint," it said in white letters against a brown plaque above the door. It was moderately busy inside, there were only about seven customers and only about five workers.

"You okay if I order you an iced coffee?," asked Wirt.

"Oh, um, yes," replied Ereyon.

Wirt ordered two hazelnut iced coffees. He and Ereyon found an empty table by the window. Ereyon was wary about trying this drink but after a sip he realized he liked it.

"It's hard for me to talk about this," said Wirt after a moment of thinking. "When I tell people Greg is my half-brother, everyone begins asking intrusive questions. 'What happened to your father?' 'Did he die?' 'He's alive and he has another family?' 'Do you ever get jealous of all the attention your other siblings get?'" He took a sip of his coffee. "It's hard enough waking up knowing what he did to my mother." He looked down at the floor. "I don't know if this matters, but I sometimes get the feeling my stepmother doesn't like me that much."

"What makes you say that?" Ereyon inquired.

"Well," began Wirt, "at first, when I used to visit, she was nice to me. Or maybe she was just faking it for my father's sake and because I was younger then. It's funny how the things my father did to help the family ultimately broke us apart."

Ereyon blinked. He wasn't sure how to respond to that, or to even respond at all. All he knew was that Wirt was deeply troubled by his past.

"I," said Wirt, but paused to sip his coffee. "I...I've been carrying this weight around for as long as I can remember." He looked down at the floor before peering out the window. "I used to visit him over the summer. I haven't seen him in four years and he still tries to come up with some excuse to get me to see him, but it doesn't work. I have to think of Greg and his sake."

"That does sound complicated." Ereyon said. "How does your brother feel about this?"

"We told him two years ago," responded Wirt, churning the ice with his straw. "I told him first, then Mom did. Greg's the reason I stopped visiting my dad. He gets jealous. He thinks I like James and Aubrey more than him. But I don't. I haven't seen them in four years, as far as I know, they've probably forgotten me. Either that, or dad still asks mom about me and my grades and whatnot."

"Sounds like he misses you," stated Ereyon.

Wirt shrugged. "I miss him too, but I...I don't want to see him. It's just...now's not the right time."

"Do you want to see him?"

"I want to, but...I've got a lot going on. Not to mention trying to get people off my back for everything they've flung at me. Asking me if I wish things were different. Because I don't wish things were different. I like myself the way I am. I know who I am." He took a long swig of iced coffee. "Besides, I'm sixteen now, two years from now I'll be eighteen: officially an adult. I'll be out on my own then." Then, as a joke, Wirt uttered, "Don't suppose you can go back in time and fix everything?"

"Incidentally, I can," relied Ereyon automatically, "but I can't change your past nor can I rewrite it."

"Didn't think so." Wirt chuckled.

"But I can help you in changing your future."

"Well that sounds promising."

"You have so much potential, Wirt," said Ereyon. "You have such talent. Anyone would be jealous of you."

"Really?" Wirt blushed. "You're not just saying that?"

"Oh no, I am truly honest," proclaimed Ereyon. "There's so much ahead of you. And you'll get there."

"On my own?"

"With everyone who's close to you."

Wirt blushed so hard he had turn away in the hopes that no one would notice.

"Well, now that I've gotten some of that out, I'd to run some things by you." Wirt said as soon as he recovered.

"What is it?" Ereyon took a sip of the hazelnut iced coffee.

Wirt opened his backback and pulled out a spiral notebook. He opened it to the final pages in the back.

"I've come up with a list," said Wirt, skimming through his notebooks. "A list of explanations to tell my friends about you and why you're staying."

"Oh really?" Ereyon was all ears after that. "Mind telling me?"

"That's what it's for." He looked down at his notebook. "The first thing I came up with was telling them that you're a relative from out of town."

Ereyon's smile gradually faded. "That might prove a problem, seeing how I don't look like you at all."

"We'll say you were adopted, then," retorted Wirt. He looked at his notes again. "Okay...how do you feel about being homeschooled?"

"Why?"

"Because I wrote that down as part of the coverup."

"Go right ahead then." Ereyon then remembered. "What about your parents? What if your friends want to come over to your house and I'm there, what are they going to tell them?"

"That's where you come in."

"Pardon?"

"I know you probably can, but I wanted to ask anyways," said Wirt. Nervously, he asked, "Can angels manipulate people's memories?"

Ereyon fell silent.

"We...we can," he replied after a full minute of silence. "But I don't feel right doing this."

"I knew you'd say that." Wirt sat back, dropping the notebook on the table. The redhead took a peek at the open page. Even upside down he could read what they said. All of them were believable excuses for Ereyon being here. But none of them seemed to go with him. It looked as though eye in would never agree to any lie.

He heard Wirt sigh and he got ready to answer whatever he was about say.

"Well, we're at a dead end," he said, "guess we'll just have to sneak around and avoid anyone who knows me."

The redhead looked away, unable to face him. He could feel the grueling rage boiling inside Wirt. It was like a storm, but he couldn't do anything. He may have been on earth for a few days, but he couldn't stand to see him upset, but he could break his vow as an angel. Ereyon didn't like going against the rules, but he fell from Heaven and he knew it. He wasn't in Heaven anymore, he could change things here if wanted. Even reveal his wings in this cafe. Forgetting all the things he was taught, Ereyon sucked in a breath and spoke.

"I..." He needed to make this sound right. "I'll manipulate your parents' memories in front of your friends...if you promise me something."

Wirt's eyes blinked. He didn't know what to say at first. But there was something in Ereyon's voice that made him see he was being serious. Without another thought he said, "Of course, anything. What do you want me to promise?"

"I haven't thought of it yet," responded Ereyon.

"Well, there's no rush." Wirt said. He picked up his notebook, closing it. "I don't know if we'll need this or not, but I'm going to keep it just in case."

Ereyon forced a smile.

Wirt stood up. "I'm going to order a cannoli. Do you want one?"

"Yes, thank you."

* * *

The sun fell asleep, shielded behind the trees. The colors: bold, rich and brilliant. Its rays seem friendly, like a friend waving goodbye. You know they are departing, but you know you will see them again. That was what Wirt thought as he walked alongside Ereyon to the forest. He and the angel, with his red wings folded against his back, walked on the train tracks. He put his cuffs back on as soon as they reached the cemetery. The two reached the end of the train tracks, and this was their cue to jump off.

"Are you sure you'll be alright on your own?" Wirt.

"I'll be fine," replied Ereyon.

"Sorry, I just forget that you're an angel." Wirt scratched the back of his neck.

Ereyon smiled. "It's all right. You care and I like that about you."

Wirt looked to the trail ahead. "Well, I can only go with you until we see the entrance to the forest. After that, I'll have to go back."

"I really wish I didn't make you come all this way." Ereyon stated.

"Nah, don't beat yourself up. I actually wanted to come."

"Will you come back tomorrow?"

"Sure, I'll see what I can do."

The two continued on their walk. It was mostly spent in silence, none of them spoke, though Wirt wanted to break the ice, but he ventured he talked enough for today. It wasn't as if Ereyon didn't not want to talk, but there were so few topics to talk about. Most of the things on his mind were human manners and etiquette, the fear of being dragged back to Heaven, and his status of an angel being revealed and how Wirt's friends would react. If Wirt could see into his mind, he would surely be overwhelmed with his head spinning and ears stinging. It drained Ereyon as well.

Fifteen minutes into their walk, Wirt saw the treeline, the path he took to get to the forest that fateful night. This was his cue.

"This is as far as can I go," he said. "You can go on from here."

"Thank you for joining me, Wirt." Ereyon beamed.

"It was my pleasure." Wirt gripped his backpack straps. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"I'll be waiting."

Wirt turned around and waved to Ereyon, who in turn waved back. With a smile, Wirt turned to the road and made his walk back to the train tracks.

* * *

Jumping over the stone wall was becoming a breeze to Wirt. He figured he'd be doing it a lot, so he thought he'd better get used to it. He looked all around the cemetery, at the tombstones, in between them, and at the few scattered trees here and there. He decided it was time to do something he should've done a while ago. Retrieve the book he bought for Ereyon.

He usually saw the groundskeeper appear from somewhere in the west part of the cemetery. Grabbing his bearings, Wirt sighed and walked. Wirt never thought of it before, but he thought of the groundskeeper's house being located in the cemetery. He never seen it before, but he might as well brace himself. If he could come up with a good enough excuse, then maybe he'll be lenient in Wirt's punishment. Maybe he'll think he forgot the book, but then Wirt thought the man would see through his lies and call him out. He was stressing himself out with all these manic thoughts and it would just spiral out of control from there until he was dried out.

He saw the house in the distance. Wirt was expecting something more grand, but it was just a normal two-story suburban house painted white with a grey roof. There was an oak tree beside the house's right side. Now that he was approaching the house he might as well get it over and done with. He was ready for whatever the groundskeeper was going to shout at him. Wirt might as well deserve it.

He stepped onto the porch. Breathing in a sigh, he knocked on the door. He heard heavy thudding coming from the other side of the door. Wirt braced himself, balling his fists. The door swung open from the inside and the boy was face to face with the groundskeeper. He looked to be pushing sixty, with a prominent thinning hairline, noticeable bags under his eyes, and his skin wrinklier than any old sheet. He was dressed in his uniform, Wirt figured he forgot to change or he didn't have time. By the look on his face he appeared to be in no mood for company.

"Hi, uh..." Wirt was already enraptured with nerves and he didn't even muster a sentence longer than ten words. "I, uh, you see, I, um..." He paused again, seeing the man's patience wearing thin. He might as well make it quick. "I'm here to get the book you found."

"So _you're_ the one who got into the Simmons' mausoleum?" The man's voice was gravelly and it was enough to instill panic in Wirt.

"Yes!," blurted Wirt, fists balled. His heart was beating so fast it might as well explode. "Yeah. I was there. I was reading to the Simmons and then it got late and—and—"

"Relax, boy," said the groundskeeper. "I'll get you yer book, if you promise not to leave it lying around."

"Oh thank you so much." Wirt breathed out, his heartbeat returning back to normal. He waited for the man to return with the book. _Well, that went well. This is actually not so bad._

Minutes later, the man returned with the book in his hands and a serious look on his face. He handed the book to Wirt, but before he could hand it to him, he spout out another remark.

"Don't think I haven't noticed you sneaking around," said the man.

Wirt looked as though he swallowed his own tongue. He thought he was doing a good job of avoiding notice, but apparently he was caught faster than a fish on a reel. The groundskeeper was getting on in years, but his wit was sharper than any knife he could find in any drawer.

"Just what are you doing sneaking around here?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing my boot. I've seen you jumping over the wall and back."

Wirt grabbed at his backpack straps. A lump formed in his throat. His chest tightened. He looked in every direction, anywhere to avoid looking at the man's judging eyes. Wirt wished for the ground to open up and swallow him whole.

"Tell ya what," said the man. He handed the book to Wirt, which surprised him altogether. "There's a shortcut to the forest behind my house. You can use it, so long as you don't try doing any funny business in the cemetery. I get enough vandalism as it is."

"Thank you." Wirt held the book to his chest. "Thank you so much, sir."

"Call me Lyle," retorted the old man.

"Thank you, Lyle."

"Anytime, lad," said Lyle, chuckling. "Now you go on home, ya whippersnapper."

"Okay."

Wirt turned around and ran. Today hadn't gone so bad: he talked to Ereyon about his past, well for the most part; school was out; and he got _The Spellchild_ back for Ereyon to finish. Everything seemed to be going great.

He had been running like never before. Soon the mausoleum—the Simmons' mausoleum—the mausoleum Ereyon had been hiding in—was in plain view. Wirt knew he wouldn't be coming back here anymore, now that Ereyon hid in the forest. His fears were melting away.

As soon as he raced out the iron gates, something unusual happened. A surprisingly strong breeze blew in, not catching Wirt's attention, who had already forgotten about today's fiascos. From behind one of the trees, a figure emerged. He was dressed in a black trench coat that covered most of his matching black outfit: black top, black slacks, and black boots. His alabaster skin giving off an unearthly glow despite the setting sun. His dominating features were the chestnut wings, the same color as his hair that cascaded down his shoulders like a straight curtain. He looked at the gate through narrow amber eyes.

He knew he would be seeing more of Wirt in the following days to come.

* * *

**Looks like a newcomer's making their way into this story. I can't wait to start writing chapter eight. ^_^**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, I'm back. ^_^ I got chapter eight up. :) Did you guys miss me? Of course you did! ^3^ Well, I'm glad to be here, I just can't get away from this site. :D **

**In this chapter we learn more about Wirt and his...issues. Ereyon sympathizes. He learns about Wirt's dream to be a graphic novelist. It seems right up his tree, so why not? Doesn't mean he can't be an artist and writer. Or what? Did you think he'd play the clarinet his whole life? XD**

**Well, I'll let you guys read this for yourselves. Don't forget to leave a review. **

* * *

Surely enough the next day Wirt made his way to the cemetery after breakfast. He remembered about Lyle's promise to use his shortcut. He wondered why he let him off so easy. Maybe he remembered what it used to be like to cause mischief at Wirt's age, or perhaps he knew about his secret. If Lyle saw Ereyon, and god forbid, with his wings exposed, would he tell someone? No, he wouldn't do that, and even if he did know about Ereyon, he wouldn't do so much as revealing his angel status to the whole world. To top it off, Wirt noted that Lyle didn't seem like the gossiping type.

Wirt reached the cemetery gates and dashed in. He had his backpack in tow and a million things to tell. He had so many things going on in his mind right now. He couldn't wait to see how Ereyon was doing in the cabin. Maybe he managed to plant an apple seed and grow a full grown tree overnight. It might be possible, but he doubted Ereyon would do that even though he had his powers. Whatever Ereyon's been up to, Wort was just looking forward to seeing him doing all right. That was all that mattered.

Lyle's house was coming into view straight ahead. He saw Lyle outside his house by a row of tombstones.

"Lyle!," called Wirt as soon as he was at arm's length. The old man waved back.

"Hey there!" Lyle clapped Wirt's shoulder as a way of showing endearment. "Back already?"

"Yeah," replied Wirt.

"Why so much interest in the forest?," asked Lyle. "I would think most boys your age would be holed up at home playing your video games and playing your loud music."

"Well, lucky for you I'm not like most boys." Wirt responded. "And I prefer clarinet any day."

"That's nice," said Lyle. "Well, let me show you the shortcut."

Wirt immediately jumped on board and followed Lyle. He led Wirt into his backyard where there wasn't much of anything, save for a round white table and two white chairs. Between a large expanse of bushes and a smaller, thinner tree (a maple), Wirt saw a path that would've gone unnoticed.

"Just take this path here and you just go straight," said Lyle.

"Thanks," replied Wirt. Before Wirt could go, Lyle had one more question to ask.

"Why do you need to go to the forest?"

It took Wirt a few moments to come up with a feasible answer.

"I'm going to see a friend," he replied.

"In the woods?" Lyle quirked an eyebrow.

Wirt nodded. He waited for Lyle to say something contradictory to his answer.

"Well, you be careful on your way over there," said Lyle. His drenched with concern. "You don't know what's gonna jump up at ya."

"I'll be careful." Wirt stated.

"Well, you go on now," said Lyle. "Be sure not to step into poison ivy or run into any deer. They can get vicious if provoked."

"Oh I will," retorted Wirt.

Wirt grabbed at his backpack straps and breathed in. He started to walk, not caring what bars his path.

* * *

The shortcut was much easier than jumping over the stone wall and walking along the train tracks. This way he didn't have to fear getting hit by a train. He should've done this earlier. The upside to taking the shortcut was the pleasant scenery he saw. He'd past a patch of lavender flowers. In the distance he saw the silhouette of a deer, and Wirt was reminded of how Ereyon spoke to it through telepathy. A bird flew over Wirt's head, a bluebird that reminded him of Beatrice. He wondered how she was doing.

One thing he knew was navigating this trail proved more easy to find the cabin. He saw the cabin in the distance, albeit the backdoor and what looked like the cellar door. It wasn't opened, but he'd better go around and enter through the front. He stepped into the porch, opened the door and looked inside.

"Ereyon?," he called. He stepped inside, closed the door, and looked around.

"I'm up here!" Ereyon's voice called from upstairs.

Wirt walked up the stairs and found him in the room on the right.

"Hey," said Wirt. He took his backpack off and set it down on the dresser.

"Hello." Ereyon's wings were unfurled.

"You've been doing alright?" Wirt unzipped his backpack.

"I have," replied Ereyon, walking up to Wirt, eying his backpack with burning interest. "I ususally have the animals to keep me company. What do you have there?"

"It's one of my sketchbooks," said Wirt, unearthing a tan spiral sketchbook. "I wanted to show you the comic I plan on publishing—once I finish college, of course." He opened the sketchbook and walked over to the bed.

"Where do you want to study?"

"At the Evergreen Institute," he said. He looked at the bed, not finding it inviting. He looked around the floor for something to put over it. Wirt glanced at Ereyon, specially his blue coat. "Do you mind putting your coat over the bed? It's just...it doesn't look very sanitary."

"Oh, of course," said Ereyon. He slipped off his coat and placed it on the bed.

"Thanks," quoth Wirt. He looked up at Ereyon. "You look great without your coat on. You should go coatless more often."

Ereyon furrowed his brow before realizing it was a compliment. He joined Wirt on the bed.

"Okay, here's what I've got."

Ereyon looked at the first page. It was comic panel about a teenage boy waiting for class to end. The angel saw the boy looking worried about something. Wirt turned the page and it continued from there. He saw the boy leaving class after the bell rang and the boy rushing out the school with a determined look. The next page showed the boy running down the street, and when he reached the park he continued from there until he reached the neighboring forest. Once in the forest, he ran until he reached a pond, and that was when things got interesting. The boy chanted an incantation, a portal opened in the pond and he jumped in. The next page showed the boy arriving in another world, a magical world.

And that was when Wirt popped a question.

"So what do you think?"

"I think it's remarkable." Ereyon said. "The artwork is stupendous and the story is really enchanting. I like how you put so much detail into your work. It's fantastic!"

"Thanks," replied Wirt. "I'm going to call it _Fate's Design_."

"That's a wonderful title."

Wirt nodded. Then cautiously he said, "Do you think I should use a pen name?"

"What's a pen name?" Ereyon raised a brow.

"A pen name is like a fake name authors use, so that they don't have to use their real name," explained Wirt.

"Why do you want to use a pen name?," queried Ereyon.

"It...it's mostly for personal reasons," replied Wirt. "I see it as an escape to get away from my past and myself. Names tell a lot about you. Your personality, your actions..."

"It's the name's way," said the angel.

"Yeah, and I've already got a pen name for myself," said Wirt. "What do you think of the name 'Chase Brooks' for me?"

"It has a nice ring to it," replied Ereyon. "Though I still don't understand the need to hide your identity."

"I could ask you the same thing." Wirt shot back. Ereyon's red wings drooped, having hit a soft spot. But he wasn't wrong.

"By the way," said Wirt as he closed his sketchbook, "what did you want me to promise?"

"Huh? Oh!" Ereyon looked away, brow furrowed. "Well, it's nothing, really."

"Come on, what is it?" Wirt insisted.

The redheaded angel shrugged. "It's more like you showing me how to appear and act human."

"Oh, well, then that's not so bad," said Wirt. "I would've showed you anyway."

The red-winged angel gave a half smile.

Wirt opened his backpack. "By the way, I've brought you something." He pulled out a book, a book Ereyon recognized on spot. _The Spellchild_.

"You got the book back?" Ereyon's eyes lit up when he was handed _The Spellchild_. "How did you—"

"I talked to the cemetery groundskeeper." Wirt said. " I...told him that I lost it, and he gave it to me. He let me take the shortcut behind his house. That's how I got here quicker."

"That was nice of him," uttered Ereyon. "But...you didn't tell him anything about me...right?"

"No," said Wirt, "although he was kind of suspecting something."

Ereyon blanched.

"At least you can pick up where you left off," said Wirt, motioning at the book.

"Heh, right."

Wirt looked over at the dresser, specifically at the clothes he laid out for the angel the other day. That he still hadn't worn.

"How come you haven't worn the clothes I picked out for you?," questioned Wirt, pointing at the clothes that were laid on the dresser.

The angel, who had just opened _The Spellchild_, looked at Wirt with a sheepish look that he tried to hide. He tried to come up with something to say, but the boy eventually answered for the both of them.

"Tell you what," he said, "we'll go shopping tomorrow. There's got to be something out there to fit you." Then more teasingly. "You can't be seen wearing that forever."

Ereyon chuckled nervously.

* * *

"Yeah," said Wirt, "Ereyon and I are going shopping. Apparently, the moving vans went to the wrong address, and he's been wearing only this." Wirt pointed to Ereyon's person.

"Well," said Jeannette, "that's nice of you, Wirt." She looked over at Ereyon. "When are they going to bring your packages?"

"Next week," replied Ereyon. He had to thank Wirt's coaching. "But I can't wait that long, I wanna get out of these clothes."

Jeannette gave him a smile. "Have fun, you two." Then she remembered something else. "Oh, Wirt, can you take Greg with you? He's been cooped up all morning."

"Sure, Mom." It came out forced rather than freely.

"Greg, your brother's going to take you out!," she called over her shoulder.

In no time at all, Greg came thundering down the stairs at full speed. He was dressed in a dark green long-sleeved shirt and khaki shorts. He had on black galoshes.

"Ready for duty, sir!," he chirped, giving a salute.

"Now you listen to your brother, Greg," said Jeannette. She gave Greg a kiss on the cheek. She looked at Wirt. "Wirt, look out for your brother."

"You know I will, Mom."

"Alright, you three, have fun." Jeannette said. "And be careful crossing the street." It was more directed at Greg rather than the older boys. Wirt waved goodbye to his mother once he was out the door.

Greg spent the walk to the bus stop talking Wirt's ear off, which wasn't a problem for him. When the bus arrived Greg continued his prattle as well as remembering to ask Ereyon things about France.

"Are crepes really made with cheese and mushrooms?"

"If you want them like that."

"Really? Then I want mine with chicken and bacon."

"Vous êtes très imaginatif"

"Still don't know what you just said." Wirt cut in.

"I said that he's very imaginative."

"Yeah, what he said," said Greg. "Don't they have French at your school?"

"Yes?" Wirt was detecting suspicion.

"You should've taken it."

"I... You're probably right."

Wirt spent the bus ride to Greg's hilarious ideas. Ereyon also listened to him while answering a few of Greg's questions. Wirt on the other hand, didn't mind having his brother tag along, even though it wasn't on his agenda. It wasn't that he was joining him and Ereyon that was the problem. It was having to watch the both of them: a hyperactive child and a disguised angel with little to no social skills. He had his hands full enough.

By the time they reached the city bus stop, Wirt had to be on his guard. He held Greg's hand like he always does, and commenced their search for a department store.

"Do you know where we're going?," asked Ereyon.

"I'm sure," said Wirt. "Greg, don't let go of my hand."

"Can we go out for ice cream after we're done?," he asked.

"We'll see."

After walking for fifteen blocks, they happened upon the department store. "Ivory Eminence" it read in black letters against a white sign. The three stepped inside.

"Oh my..." To Ereyon's eye-popping surprise the store was larger from the inside. Customers milled about, accompanied either by an employee or with an acquaintance. Perfume sellers offered free samples; make-up artists did makeovers to the women; security guards whizzed by on their scooters; children carried bags with toys, clothes or shoes in them already paid for. It made Ereyon's eyes sting from the bright colors and his head spin from the proximity.

"You sure you're up to this?" Wirt inquired.

The redhead snapped out of his trance. "Uh...oh, um, yes."

"Alright, well, men's apparel is over here," mused Wirt. He walked towards a clear path in front of them and turned left.

"Hey, Ereyon, what was it like in your old town?," cheeped Greg.

"It was less active than here." Ereyon replied. He looked over at Wirt who was sending him that look. The look that let him know he was making sure he didn't slip up.

"Quiet town, huh?" Greg uttered.

"Right."

"It must've been nice, though," said Greg.

"It was."

"Alright, here we are," chimed Wirt.

The men's apparel department consisted of racks and racks of shirts, pants, shelves stocked with shoeboxes. Three mannequins were decked in three different work suits; one was black, the middle one navy blue and the last one grey. He thought the black one would look good on Ereyon. It would be a change from blue.

A man, most likely a personal shopper, approached the trio.

"May I help you, gentlemen?" He had a French accent, taking Wirt especially by surprise.

"Uh, yeah," said Wirt, "we're here to buy clothes—for my friend here." He stepped aside to present Ereyon. The redhead in turn gave a shy smile.

"I see," said the man.

"He lost his luggage in the moving van," said Greg out of impulse.

"Greg, shhh!"

The personal shopper, looked at Ereyon. The redhead's tallness was an obvious observation. He tapped his chin in thought, pacing around Ereyon. Greg and Wirt watched with burning interest.

"Hmm," said the man, "I have dealt with people of his sort." He gave him another once-over. "For him you would have to find clothes dat give away his bright red hair, wheech eez to die for, by de way." Ereyon gave an awkward smile.

"So, anything you can find for him?," asked Wirt.

The man chuckled. "Ha, don't vorry," he said, "I vill have heem looking like a prince een no time."

"This should be interesting." Wirt quirked an eyebrow.

Wirt and his brother spent a half hour watching Ereyon get measured, offered clothes to try on, coming out of the fitting room wearing suggested clothes. It was a good thing Ereyon's wings were gone for the moment. They would make him look better, as angels had the power to look good wearing and doing anything. Greg would throw in a compliment, and Wirt would give him a thumbs up when he looked great in something. The man picked out dress shoes for Ereyon. Being so tall, it was natural that he'd wear shoes fitted for his height. The redhead was a size 11.

"Voila!"

Ereyon stepped out of the fitting room dressed in a smoky gray button up shirt with a black blazer over. He had on black dress pants and black dress shoes.

"Whoa," cooed Greg.

"You look great," said Wirt.

"Woderful, just woderful," the French man said.

"You look like the spy in my favorite comic books, _Secret Agent Turner_," said Greg. "Only your hair is longer and his is brown."

Ereyon smiled sheepishly.

After Ereyon changed back into his regular outfit and the new clothes were paid for the trio left the department store.

"That was fun!, " cheeped Greg. He was carrying three bags.

"Right," quipped Wirt, raising a brow.

"Thank you for doing this for me." Ereyon said.

"Hey, you're welcome." Wirt chuckled.

"Yeah!" Greg chirped. "And now we can get ice cream."

"Okay, Greg," said Wirt. He dug into his pocket. "I've got enough for just two cones. I'm going to pass, so I guess it's just you two."

"No, really, you should have mine," said Ereyon to Wirt. "Besides, they probably don't have my favorite flavor."

"What is it?," asked Greg.

"Honey lavender."

Greg's eyes bulged. Wirt chuckled.

* * *

**Well, a day of shopping has come and gone. I think Ereyon should wear other clothes aside from that blue sparkly ensemble. He stands out.**

**I can't wait to see what happens in chapter nine. ^_^ **


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey, got chapter nine up. ^_^ Didn't think I'd finish it this early. ^3^ But here it is. Hehehehehe. :) **

**Well, this chapter's pretty quick. Sara and Jason Funderberker finally meet Ereyon. I gave Sara a last name, thought she needed one. :3 I totally love the interaction in the chapter. **

* * *

Wirt strode through the serene sidewalks. A few cyclists rode past him. Children passed by on their skateboards or bikes. He was going to meet Ereyon at their usual spot: the cemetery. He hoped he'd wear the new clothes he and Greg bought for him. He'll know once he sees him.

By the time he reached the cemetery gates he heard footsteps. Wirt thought it was either Ereyon or Lyle. Whoever it was he'd greet them however way he saw appropriate.

"Wirt?," said a familiar voice. It was Ereyon's. By the time he exited the gate Wirt was taken aback.

Ereyon was dressed in a completely different outfit other than his usual dark blue coat and slacks and such. He was wearing a maroon button-up shirt with a black utility jacket over. He wore a pair of black slacks and black shoes.

"You look great," commented Wirt.

"Thank you." Ereyon smiled. He didn't have his wings, must've taken off his silver cuffs before coming here. "So where are we off to today?"

"Well, I was thinking I introduce you to my friends." Wirt said. It got Ereyon's attention immensely.

"Really?" He sounded appeased.

"Yeah," said Wirt, "you said you wanted to meet my friends, so I am."

Ereyon smiled.

"Anyways," quipped Wirt, "we're meeting them at The Expresso-O Joint."

Before the two could make their way to the coffee shop, Ereyon had a question to ask.

"What...coverup...are you going to use for when we meet them?"

Wirt teetered on that one.

"I thought about using the relative excuse, but after much thought, it would cause too much conflict with my parents when they begin to ask my parents about him." It left Wirt winded.

"It sounded like a good idea," quoth Ereyon.

"Yeah, having Mom or Edward try to explain the existence of a relative they don't remember having," said Wirt. "I can see that happening."

"What are you going to tell them?"

"I'm going to tell them you're my pen pal—that's a friend who you write to. Usually start off as strangers."

"Convincible," said Ereyon, "and ingenious."

"I'd figure I'd go with that instead of making you...manipulate my parents' memories." Wirt had a hard time getting that out.

"You're taking back our deal?"

"Kind of? I knew you didn't want to and I've been beating myself up over this." Wirt looked both ways before crossing. He and Ereyon hurriedly jogged to the other street. "Besides, it's summer. Perfect time to introduce you and not having to explain why you weren't in school, or why they've never seen you. It's genius."

Ereyon was quiet along the way. "Do you think they'll like me?," he uttered, rather forcefully.

"Of course they'll like you," relied Wirt. "You've got nothing to worry about."

"If you think so."

"You'll be fine."

The turned a corner and Ereyon recognized the street. They would be at the coffeehouse in a few minutes.

"Look, I'll do all the talking and you just nod along to what I say," summarized Wirt. "Does that sound acceptable to you?"

"I believe so," responded the redhead.

"And cut the formal talk. You sound like an upper-crust aristocrat."

"Sorry."

True to Ereyon's calculations, the two reached the coffee shop in ten minutes. When they entered, Wirt saw Sara and Jason sitting at a table near the center.

"Hey, Wirt," said Sara, waving to him and the redhead.

"Sara." Wirt and Ereyon walked up to them.

"Grab a seat," said Sara. Then she noticed Ereyon at last, who in turn kept his cool. "So, who's your new friend?"

"This is Ereyon," said Wirt.

"Hello," said Ereyon.

"Ereyon? Cool name," quoth Sara. "I'm Sara Maxwell. This is Jason Funderberker." She jerked her thumb over at Jason, who had been quiet for a while. The boy waved shyly at the tall redhead.

Wirt and Ereyon sat down. Wirt was by Sara and Ereyon seated next to Jason. The boy seemed intimidated by the redhead's height, although he tried to look brave.

"I'm going to order for us." Sara announced as she stood up. "Ereyon, what do you want?," she asked the redhead.

"A hazelnut iced coffee, thank you," replied Ereyon.

"Wirt, what do you want?"

"Get me the same thing Ereyon's having. And see if they have Runeberg tortes."

"Oh, Sara, I would like one of those, too," interrupted Ereyon.

"Great," beamed Sara. "Jason, you want anything?"

"Uhhh... I'll have a lemon water," said Jason. "I can't handle coffee that much. And I'll have a cranberry scone."

"Okay, be right back!" And with that she went up to the counter and placed their order.

Jason looked like he was shifting between talking and being quiet.

"So...uh...how do you know Wirt?," he at last asked.

"We're pen pals," said Ereyon.

"I started writing to him last year," chimed Wirt. "I used the pen pal program they were offering. I got him—" he pointed to Ereyon with his thumb. "It was amazing how much we have in common."

"It's true." Ereyon answered.

"We both like writing."

"And nature."

"And we love animals."

"Soft music."

"Oh," quoth Wirt, "and he's from France. He and his family live in a cottage in the countryside. I've never seen a picture of it, but it's beautiful."

"That's...great..," responded Jason. He looked down at the floor.

"I'm back." Sara's voice announced.

"Let me help you with that." Wirt got up and helped Sara with their orders.

"Here you go." Wirt handed Jason his lemon water and cranberry scone.

"Here's one for Ereyon," said Sara, handing the redhead his iced coffee.

"And one Runberg torte for you." Wirt gave Ereyon his torte.

"Thank you," the redhead replied.

Wirt sat next to Sara with his meal. "Hey, that looks good," he commented, noting Sara's plate. It consisted of a chocolate dacquoise cake and a mug of mocha espresso.

"So, what were you guys talking about?," she inquired.

"Oh, I was just saying how Ereyon and I are pen pals." Wirt said.

"Really?" Sara looked at Ereyon. "Where are you from?"

"France."

"France. The city of lights." Sara took a swig of her espresso. "I've always wanted to go there."

"Oh, it's beautiful." Ereyon said. "If you ever do, you can stay over at my parents' cottage in the country. It has an expansive garden and there's a swing under a tree in our backyard."

"Wow, it sounds wonderful," answered Sara. She took a bite of her cake. "You probably see a lot of cute animals like bunnies and stuff, right?"

"Oh yes," said Ereyon, remembering what Wirt said about his diction. "I've seen a few hop by. They're very adorable. My favorite part of living in the country is waking up to the birds singing."

"That's so nice." Sara smiled.

Jason drank some of his lemon water before speaking. "So, uh, Ereyon," he began, "what do you...plan on doing after high school?"

"I haven't figured that out yet," responded Ereyon. "There's so much I want to do. It's hard to choose one."

"Well," said Sara, "you don't have to do just _one_ thing. I mean, look at me for example. I wrestle and do ballet."

"No kidding." Looking at her, Ereyon pondered such feats.

"Yeah," uttered Sara, "I figured I could be a wrestler and teach ballet on the side."

The redhead still didn't look convinced. He looked over at Jason. "What about you?"

Jason fumbled with his words. "Well, to tell you the truth, I don't really know what I want to do either." He bit into his scone. "I...," he said between bites, "...I guess I could work as an accountant. I'm really good with math." He paused to sip his lemon water. "Or maybe I can study pharmacology."

Ereyon didn't have an answer for that and instead took a bite out of his Runeberg torte. The redhead had to admit he liked the flavor of the torte: white icing with raspberry jam on top. It was the perfect avalanche of flavors.

"But," said Sara, "and I don't mean to be so forward, but have you considered modeling?"

Ereyon blushed. "Everyone keeps saying that. They say I should be a model, or an actor, or a dancer."

"Wow," said Sara, winking, "if you did all these things you'd be famous."

"I don't know if I want that."

"There's nothing that says you can't do all those things."

"If only that were true," said Ereyon.

"It is," insisted Sara.

"There's nothing worse than being stuck doing a job you hate," interjected Wirt.

The redhead seemed to reel on this, but didn't know how to answer. Either way, he had so many ideas flying in his head. It was hard to chase them and corral them.

"Speaking of, how are you doing on that graphic novel?," asked Sara.

"Oh, well, I'm still on the first draft," said Wirt. "I'm gonna work on it once I get into college. After which, I'll live off my art and novels."

Sara smiled. "It's good that you have everything planned out."

"I wish I could be something like that," said Jason after a sip of lemon water. "I don't think I could pull off something like that."

"How do you know that if you don't try?" Ereyon queried.

"I've tried," replied Jason, "I wrote a short story to get published in the school papers, but it got rejected. I—"

"You only fail when you stop trying," said Ereyon.

"I-I-I... I tried again. I tried writing short stories, but never published them anywhere. I mostly show them to Sara and Wirt."

"They're pretty good," said Sara, "you should read them. If Jason's up for it." She gave Jason a once-over to make sure he was alright.

"Ehhh..." The boy took a long swig of lemon water. He held his breath for about a minute, then answered. "I...sure, yeah...just... Not now, though. I don't feel ready for that." He grabbed at his sweater for safety and bit into his cranberry scone.

"That's okay," said Sarah.

Wirt took a sip of hazelnut iced coffee. He bit into his torte. "These tortes are amazing," he said.

"You're right." Ereyon commented. "They taste just like the ones my mother bakes."

"Your mom must be a great cook." Sara said.

Ereyon beamed.

"I have a question," announced Jason, looking the redhead in the eye.

"Sure, what is it?"

Jason sucked in a breath. "I...want to...invite you...to my birthday this weekend." He hunkered back as if he had gotten yelled at. Ereyon could tell by his expression that he worked himself up to ask him.

"I would love to."

"Great," said Sara. After sipping her espresso, she popped another question. "Ereyon, I know it's not my place, but have you thought about where you're going to study?"

The redhead blanched. "Well, I," he managed to blurt out, "I haven't thought about where to study. There are some good colleges in France. Though...I'm starting to consider studying abroad." He tapped his chin in thought.

"Hey, why don't you study here?," suggested Sara.

"You think I should?"

"Yeah!" Sara chirped. "It shouldn't be that hard to get a student visa. And that way, we can all be friends forever."

"I like the idea of going to school here," ventured Ereyon. "And you are all so nice and I want to be able to spend time with you and study."

"I'd like that, too," said Sara.

"Ehhh...," went Jason.

_This is going to be a long summer._ Wirt thought, taking a bite of his Runeberg torte.

* * *

The four walked the streets, the sunset behind them casting shadows upon the pavement. After the coffee shop brunch, they went out for a walk around the quiet town. It was not as bustling as the city, but it was quite as exciting. Ereyon found joy in conversing with Wirt's friends. He was wrong, his friends liked him immensely. Sara especially asked him questions about France, which the redhead didn't mind answering. Jason, on the other hand, not being so talkative, listened to them taking and only spoke when he felt like it. When he did, he kept it short and simple.

"So, you're probably staying at Wirt's for the summer, right?," asked Sara.

"Right," replied Ereyon. "His parents were more than happy to let me stay."

"That's good."

Wirt was surprised at how Ereyon was able to be convincing and believable in front of his friends.

"Do you think you two might be free tomorrow?" Sara asked Ereyon.

"I suppose," replied the redhead. "Why?"

"Well, there's this movie that just came out and I've been dying to see it." Sara took a breath. "It's called _The Stolen Tome of Mists_."

"Oh, right, I heard that movie just came out," said Wirt. "Ereyon and I would love to go to that."

"Definitely." Ereyon nodded.

"Yaaaayyy..." Jason's voice couldn't hit more than a note.

Wirt saw his house up ahead.

"Well, this is where I get off," he said. "See you guys tomorrow."

"Bye!" Sara waved to him and Ereyon.

"See ya," croaked Jason.

"Tomorrow at noon, okay?," called Sara as a last minute reminder.

"Okay."

Sara and Jason continued walking along the street while Wirt and Ereyon walked towards the house.

"You really hit it off." Wirt pulled out his keys from his pocket.

"I did, didn't I?"

"You did great, they definitely like you."

"Good to hear, though I am a little worried about your friend Jason."

Wirt's ears perked up. "Why's that?"

"Well," began Ereyon, "I didn't want to, and I try not to, but I might have...accidentally read his mind."

"Whoa? Really?" Wirt tried not to let his excitement overtake him, but this was actually interesting. "What did you...read?"

"It was all directed at me." The redhead looked as though he had been given a bad pickup line. "His thoughts were all saying how he was jealous of my 'wavy red locks' and 'ocean blue eyes.'"

Wirt let out a snort. "Oh man, that's rich!" He burst into laughter.

"There was also something about how he wished he could look like me," continued Ereyon. "And something about me being a movie actor."

Wirt didn't know which was more funny. After everything he's been stressing over, it was good to have a laugh.

"Though, I do have a question," quoth Ereyon.

"What is it?" Wirt quirked an eyebrow.

"What is wrong with his voice?"

"You and me both, Ereyon." Again, he let out a chortle. He had been laughing so much he'd forgotten had to open the door. Wirt grabbed his bearings and unlocked the front door. Once opening the door, Wirt called, "Mom, I'm home, and Ereyon's sleeping over."

"That's nice, honey," called Jeannette from the living room.

The two stepped inside. Wirt closed and locked the door behind him.

Several yards away, behind a few pine trees, a shadow lurked beneath. A rustle sounded when his wings brushed against the pine needles. His amber eyes watched the house, seething silently. He heard the voices coming from the house on account of his sensitive ears. It left him disgusted.

"Enjoy it while it lasts, Ereyon," said the amber-eyed angel. "Because you will never see these mortals again. It's time to go back to your rightful place."

With a strong lift, he beat his wings and he flew towards the haunting night, planning his next moment. His moment to attack. The attack that will change everything.

* * *

**That was a good chapter. :3 Ereyon reading Jason's mind...might've overdone it a bit. XD And remember that "chestnut-haired angel" that appeared in the end of chapter seven? He reappears again in this chapter. Hmm. Things are about to get interesting. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey, guys! I'm back with chapter...nine? Or is it ten? I'm not sure, I haven't been keeping track lately. *scratches back of head and shrugs* Anyways, more interaction between Sara and Jason Funderberker. ^_^ **

**I'm starting to like how Ereyon develops more and more as the story progresses. And the way he interacts with Sara and Jason. These past few months, I've been afraid of making Ereyon one-dimensional, but I'm starting to make him believable. I am so proud of myself. :) **

**Hope you guys enjoy this chapter. :D **

* * *

"That movie was great!," chirped Sara.

"Aw, yeah," said Wirt.

Ereyon nodded. Jason only muttered something no one understood. They filed out of the theater and out to the streets. Sara ate the last of her popcorn and threw the bucket away in a nearby trash can.

"Didn't you love the part where Caer found the book in the cave?" Sara asked.

"Yeah, especially when the demons popped out and then the fight broke out!" Wirt tried to contain his excitement, but he couldn't help himself. "Man, that was intense."

"Indeed," said Ereyon.

"Ereyon, you like it?," queried Sara. Ereyon nodded.

Jason looked like he wanted to say something, but wisely dropped it and his face paled.

On the way, Ereyon gartered attention from a few passing girls. They giggled under their breath. The redhead looked over his shoulder at them, the girls in turn looked back and continued giggling.

"You seem to be getting a lot of attention," muttered Jason.

"Heh, can't be helped," retorted Ereyon. Jason's shoulders slumped.

"Are you sure you don't want to be a model?," inquired Sara, suggestively. Wirt covered his mouth as he let out a muffled chuckle.

"No, really. Even though I have the body for it," replied Ereyon. "But...what I want... I want to make a difference, make an impact."

"Like a notary?," squeaked Jason.

"An activist?," offered Sara.

"Well..." Ereyon ventured.

"Or a diplomat?" Wirt threw in.

"Something like that," said Ereyon. "An activist sounds good. So does a diplomat."

"See, Ereyon, you can do anything you set your mind to," said Wirt.

The redhead was starting to feel the inspiration tune in.

"Well, we're off," announced Sara, shoving her hands into her jacket pockets. She pulled out her left arm to wave to Wirt and Ereyon. "See you guys later," she added.

"Bye, Sara," said Wirt, waving.

Jason shyly waved, still feeling intimidation from Ereyon's attractiveness. Wirt and Ereyon crossed the street after Sara and Jason made a right turn.

"Okay, now we have to figure what to get Jason for his birthday," said Wirt.

"Do you have any ideas?," asked the redhead.

"No." Wirt shook his head. "It's not like I know him that well. I'm still getting used to hanging out with him."

Ereyon's interest piqued.

"You see," began Wirt, "I didn't really hang out with him that much. I used to see him as a rival."

"Why?"

"Because I thought he and Sara would start dating—I thought she was going to be his girlfriend—"

"I understand, you don't have to clarify," reminded Ereyon.

"Right, sorry," chuckled Wirt. "Well, anyways, after that Halloween Sara and I dated for a little while, but...there was no chemistry between us. So we broke up."

Ereyon looked like he wanted to say something, but he remained silent, thinking it to be the appropriate response.

"He's not so bad once you get to know him," said Wirt, looking up at Ereyon. "Turns out he and I have a lot in common."

"Such as?"

"Well, we like some of the same books, but that's only because they're so popular," replied Wirt. "Let's see, we're kind of bad at meeting new people, though I'm slowly making some progress."

"I've gathered that," quipped Ereyon.

"Well, all that stuff about him, thinking he was 'the total package' was just assumptions. He's not exactly the perfect human being, although nobody is." The redhead nodded.

"So...the birthday present?" Ereyon ventured.

"Oh, right," said Wirt. "Well, seeing how we have until Saturday to get him a present I thought we'd take our time with it."

"Hmm. True."

"Unless you think we should start now and get it out of our ways..."

"No, no," uttered Ereyon, "we have time, like you said. I just wish we knew what to get him for his birthday."

"Let's just browse around for a while," said Wirt. "See what we can find."

The duo walked around the town. They went into some stores, mostly three different clothing stores. Then they entered a bookstore. Wirt deduced that Jason had almost every book he's ever read, so he and Ereyon left the bookstore empty-handed. Ten minutes after looking through the shop windows, Wirt finally gave up.

"This is hopeless," sighed Wirt as he sat down on a bench. Ereyon joined him. "I mean," continued Wirt, "birthday presents are easier when you're a kid. You get toys and clothes and stuff. When you're Greg's age you'll accept anything. Birthday presents for girls have more variety. Girls get dolls, dresses, stuffed animals, make-up, shoes, flowers, candy. It's like...double standards on birthday presents."

"It seems so," quoth Ereyon. "What did you get on your birthday?"

"On my birthday, I got a silver watch—from my Dad, I don't wear it much." Wirt taxed his mind. "From my mom, I got these pair of black boots. Greg gave me this snowglobe he got while going shopping with Mom. Edward gave me a really cool shirt—it has a picture of a gothic skull with a snake entwined around the sockets. I like it and wear it all the time."

"Did you get any presents from your friends?" Ereyon asked.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I did." Wirt perched up. "I got a grooming kit from Sara. And from Jason...he got me a handmade coatrack."

Ereyon's face looked undoubted.

"What do you think?," asked Wirt.

"Well, I say you go with your instincts," said Ereyon.

"It feels like my instincts are asleep," quoth Wirt, "cause I can't come up with anything."

"Hmm. Well, there's always tomorrow," said the redhead. Wirt chuckled.

"You're right about that." Wirt got ready to stand up. "You wanna stay over at my house, or are you going back the cabin?"

"I should probably head back to the forest," said Ereyon. "I don't want to continue being a nuisance to your family."

"Oh no, you're not a nuisance." Wirt quipped. "My parents love having you around, and Greg adores you."

Ereyon chortled. "That's sweet, but I should get back to the forest."

"Did you remember to hide your silver cuffs?" Wirt asked cautiously.

"Oh yes," replied Ereyon. "No one will ever find them."

"So, tomorrow," began Wirt, "we'll meet back at our usual spot and take another shot of finding Jason a present."

"Right." Ereyon beamed.

* * *

The next day, Wirt waited in the cemetery for Ereyon to arrive. He sat on a stone bench on front of a headstone—no one he knew, but someone who would be remembered. He checked his watch. It was nearly eleven o'clock. He looked around in a panic. He hoped Lyle didn't show up, and if he did, and Ereyon arrived with his wings exposed, Wirt would be caught in a crossfire.

The gentle singing of songbirds helped alleviate the tension. Wirt saw a red cardinal flying overhead of the cemetery. He wondered where his nest was. Maybe high in one of those trees. The sun rose over the cemetery, rays of light peeking through the tree's canopy.

_Yesterday was a bust_, thought Wirt, looking down at his shoes. _Maybe today will be better. I sure hope we find a present for Jason. Ah god, I hope no one loses their head when Ereyon arrives. Maybe I can try to convince him not to go. I just hope he doesn't want to change my mind about bringing him along. No one's going to be paying attention to Jason when they see my new friend who's drop dead gorgeous._

"Did I just think that?" Wirt asked himself, eyebrow raised. "Pfft! Ereyon would probably laugh his head off." _Kathleen would probably be drooling over Ereyon._

He heard a _whoosh_ and Wirt turned his attention to the stone wall. He saw Ereyon fly over the wall, landing gracefully on the cool grass.

"Hey," said Wirt.

Ereyon folded his wings and ran up to Wirt.

"You might wanna take off your cuffs."

"I know." Ereyon rolled up his sleeves and slid the silver cuffs off. His red wings disappeared instantly.

"You gonna hide those here?," inquired Wirt. Ereyon shook his head.

"I'm going to take them with me." Ereyon replied. "In case of emergency." He unzipped the pocket on his coat and dropped the cuffs in.

"You're lucky there's no one around." Wirt retorted. "Almost no one is."

"Quite," remarked Ereyon, head turning from the entrance to the far distance. "Let's continue with the gift-giving expedition."

"Right," said Wirt as he stood up. "Any ideas?"

The redhead took his time answering. "Hmmm." Ereyon rubbed his chin. "I was thinking of coming up with a handmade gift, but I don't know if you'd be up for it."

"Handmade, store bought," said Wirt, "I'm willing to try anything."

The two left the cemetery, that was when Wirt had an idea.

"You know what?," he announced. "I think I might know something Jason would like, but we have to get to the city."

"All right," said Ereyon. He was enjoying his enthusiasm.

They turned the other direction to the bus stop.

"What are you going to get him?," asked Ereyon.

"You'll see when we get there," replied Wirt.

"Can I at least have a hint?"

Wirt thought it over. "Well...it has something to do with one of the books we've read."

Ereyon quirked an eyebrow. He was hoping to have a different answer, but he was willing to see the day through.

By the time the two reached the bus stop the bus had just arrived. Wirt and Ereyon were the last passengers on board. Off they went to the city ahead.

Twenty minutes later, the two arrived at the city bus stop. Their first stop obviously was the bookstore.

"Do you know where you're going with this?," queried Ereyon.

"Of course," responded Wirt. The redhead shrugged and just followed him.

They reached the bookstore in due time.

Wirt led Ereyon through a part of the bookstore he'd never been to before. This was the spot where they had figurines, knickknacks and stuffed animals. Merchandise for popular books.

"What is it that we're looking for?," inquired Ereyon.

"This," said Wirt. He reached out and picked up a figurine. It was the most outlandish figurine Ereyon had ever seen.

"What kind of animal is that?," asked the redhead.

"It's a peryton," replied Wirt, turning it over. "It's from the series Jason and I read,_ The Fantasus Annals_." He held the peryton figurine for Ereyon to see. "This one's name is Ophion. He's the guardian who protects the Thespar Forest from the villain, Iglok."

"Fascinating." Ereyon ran his finger on the lifeless statue as though it were alive. The peryton resembled a real deer, except for the noticeable distinguishing features. It was the color of burnished gold with a sunset orange tint. It had rainbow-colored wings. But its eyes were the real spectacle; they were an unusual shade of blue. The closest Wirt could describe them were Tiffany blue.

"Jason is going to love his gift," said Ereyon with certainty.

"Yeah." Wirt looked at the figurine longingly. "I wanted this statue for myself, but I felt like Jason deserved it more. Plus, this is the only one they got, it'll be weeks before they ship in new ones."

"That's very generous of you." Ereyon smiled.

Wirt looked around the bookstore. "Come on," he said, "let's pay for this."

The peryton figurine had to be wrapped up gingerly in layers of thin paper before it could be bagged. After leaving the bookstore Wirt held the bag to his chest rather than the usual way he held a bag.

"Looks like all's well that ends well," said Ereyon.

"Right." Wirt nodded. "But then, you have to bring a gift, too. Can't show up empty handed."

The redhead adopted a surprised look. Clearly, he'd forgotten about his own part in this upcoming festivity.

"Don't worry, you'll find something," reassured Wirt. "I can help you out there." The angel looked a million times relieved.

Wirt let out a sigh, which grabbed Ereyon's attention.

"Something wrong?"

Wirt winced. He looked away, not sure how to respond. He couldn't lie to him, especially since Ereyon would know he was lying. It was best to tell the truth.

"It's just that when we were in the bookstore, I began thinking about those graphic novels I want to publish," explained Wirt.

"I see," said Ereyon. Wirt shrugged.

"And another thing about that." Wirt looked in both directions. "You know how I told you about the pen name business?" The redhead nodded. "Well," continued Wirt, "there's a lot of reasons why I want to use a pen name." _Here it comes_. "I mean, Wirt Garner is alone. Wirt Garner has no friends—well, okay, that's not really true, but even when I'm with Sara and Jason I still feel alone. What else?" He tapped his chin in thought. "Oh, and Wirt Garner has a messed up past. However, Chase Brooks has potential. Chase has a lot of friends. Chase is multitalented. So, you see why I wanna use a pen name? To escape my traumatic past."

Ereyon kept a neutral face, but overall understood what the boy was feeling.

"I understand what you're trying to do," said Ereyon. "But...," he needed to make this sound right, so he didn't upset Wirt. "Is this really necessary? Using a false name?"

"As if that makes it any different from you," snapped Wirt. Ereyon blinked. He wasn't wrong.

Wirt spotted an empty bench. He and the redhead sat down, and continued with the conversation.

"Your past is where you learn the lesson," said Ereyon. "Don't let your past anchor you down. No matter how hard you try to escape it, your past is what made you who you are."

Wirt didn't say anything.

"What I'm saying is this: the only way to redeem yourself is not _run away_ from your past but to _understand_ it, and use it as a foundation for your future." Ereyon reached out to touch Wirt's shoulder, but wisely pulled away.

"I just want to forget all of this," said Wirt almost in a whisper.

The redhead didn't know what to say to that. Whether to contradict him, or say something positive. Knowing these things would always happen, Ereyon had to be prepared for every challenge that threw himself at him. Especially when he planned to stay in the human world for a longer time.

"All I know is that, no matter what, everything will be alright," crooned Ereyon. "Whatever you choose, it won't change what your father feels about you, or what your friends think of you. What's important is what you think of yourself."

Wirt remained silent. He looked close to shedding tears, but he was not prepared to breakdown in front of the bustling civilians. He didn't want to say anything, not yet anyways, but soon.

A few minutes passed in silence. Then Wirt spoke up.

"You know what?" He sounded a lot bolder than he was, which took Ereyon by surprise. "I'm not going to let the past weigh me down. This I know, but I also don't want anyone to know me as the leftover child of that failed marriage, or...or the sacrificial lamb." The redhead found he couldn't work his mouth.

"I'm not repeating my parents' mistakes," continued Wirt. "I know who I am."

Ereyon found he had to work up the nerve to say something.

"And who are you?" Ereyon finally asked.

Wirt didn't have an answer, at least not one answer anyways.

"I'm..." He furrowed his brow, "I am Wirt Garner. One and only."

Ereyon was taken aback, but nonetheless proud.

* * *

**Well, that was a hectic chapter. O.O We'll see how the next chapter turns out. And who knows? Maybe we'll see a few new faces. :-3 Keep a look out for the next chapter. ;)**

**Oh and, another thing about Wirt. See, Wirt and Greg have different last names. Greg's last name is Stevenson. After her divorce, Jeannette went back to her maiden name, which is Walden. When she married Edward she became Jeannette Walden-Stevenson. Wirt kept his last name. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Writing this chapter nearly killed me. It was intense as hell, but I loved it. This was the longest chapter I've ever written (and this isn't the first time I've said this). I thought I'd never finish it. **

**This chapter fast forwards to Jason's birthday. And, you won't believe it, but yes! :D Remember the angel from before? The one with the chestnut hair? He appears in this chapter. Let's hope he doesn't want to crash the party. XD**

**Well, all in all, this chapter was worth it.**

**Oh and, Bethany is the girl who dressed as a cowgirl on Halloween. I thought she needed a name. ^_^**

* * *

Saturday arrived, leaving only hours for the boys to prepare. Wirt managed to help Ereyon find a birthday present on Thursday. A pair of black dress shoes at the local shoe store. It was the only thing they could think of at last minute, considering Jason's birthday was getting closer. Everything worked out in the end.

Wirt helped Ereyon wrap his present, apparently the angel had a hard time figuring out how to use the shiny paper and ribbons and tape. The redhead gratefully thanked Wirt for his help, which Wirt was also grateful for.

After the gift wrapping, Wirt helped Ereyon pick out an outfit for the party. He decided on something casual. He had Ereyon decked in a smoky gray T-shirt with a black blazer over it. Ereyon wore matching black pants with black ankle-length boots.

Once Ereyon was dressed they were ready to go.

Jason was having his birthday party in the park. It was better than having it at his house; that Halloween party looked crowded and suffocating. The party was set up at a picnic table at the center of the park. Balloons were anchored by small boxes. There was food set up, consisting of chips, cookies, cupcakes, rainbow sherbet punch, lemonade, sodas and the centerpiece of it all was the birthday cake: a rectangular consumption in blue and white frosting. The candles were the number-shaped ones, in the case, they were using a one and six to make sixteen.

Wirt spotted Jason standing next to Sara. He also spotted Kathleen, Rhondi and Bethany. All of them were busy chatting amongst themselves, completely unaware of Ereyon's presence.

"Let's go talk to Jason," whispered Wirt, "I don't want those three losing their heads when they see you."

"Even though it's likely to happen," quipped Ereyon.

He and Wirt approached Jason, who after ending his conversation, noticed them with their gifts in tow.

"Hi, guys," he said, "glad you could come."

"Happy birthday, Jason," said Wirt, handing him the present. "This one's from me."

"And this one from me," interjected Ereyon, handing him the present wrapped in gold with emerald green ribbons.

"Cool," cooed Jaosn. "Just put them over by that table over there." He pointed over to a long table that was obviously brought over to the park to make extra room as to not overcrowd.

Once Ereyon and Wirt left the gifts on the table Wirt picked up on something. He looked over and that's when he noticed Kathleen and her crew whispering amongst each other and looking at something past Wirt. He looked over and realized they were whispering about Ereyon.

_I knew I shouldn't have brought him here_, thought Wirt bitterly, shaking his head. He lightly tapped him on the arm. "You might wanna look over there," he whispered.

Ereyon snapped his head to the giggling girls over the other side of the park.

"What should I say to them?," asked Ereyon.

"Say that you already have a girlfriend back in France, that it's really serious," said Wirt. "Just make it sound believable."

He followed Wirt over to the swing set .

"It's a pity Greg couldn't come with us," commented Ereyon.

"Yeah, but he wanted to go to Francette's pool party," retorted Wirt, sitting on the swing. Ereyon sat on the empty swing beside Wirt's right. "And besides, if he tagged along, he would've blabbed everything and it would've ruined the plan."

"Right," uttered Ereyon, "we have a lot on our hands as it is."

"Well said." Wirt looked up. Jason's parents, who had gone visibly unnoticed, came waddling up to the party. They were bringing a piñata.

"What is that?," asked Ereyon. Wirt took a once-over at the Funderburker's bringing over the piñata. The piñata had nine or ten cones with rainbow-colored streamers.

"It's called a piñata." Wirt said. "They're made of paper mâché and pottery. You fill them with candy, and you break the piñata to get the candy out."

"That's sounds like fun," said Ereyon.

"Yup. Only it looks like they're going to save the piñata until the end," said Wirt.

"When is that?"

"Usually before they cut the birthday cake."

Ereyon looked over and saw the three girls from before approaching them. Wirt slapped his forehead.

"Great," muttered Wirt. The redhead turned to look at him. "Just tell them what I told you," he reminded him. "Hopefully, they'll buy it."

"I hope you're right," said the redhead.

"Hi, Wirt," said Kathleen. It sounded like she was trying to keep herself from laughing. The evidence was her blushing and twirling her hair. "Who's your friend?"

"His name's Ereyon," said Wirt.

"Ereyon? Cool name," she said, keeping her eyes on the blue-eyed redhead. To Ereyon she asked, "Where're you from? I've never seen you around here before."

"I'm from France," replied Ereyon. "I'm Wirt's pen pal."

"Cool," said Rhondi. "So you like...speak French?"

"Oui, mademoiselle," said Ereyon.

Kathleen and her friends giggled. Wirt groaned. Suddenly he felt an arm wrap around him. He looking up and saw Kathleen standing next to him and she had her arm around his shoulder.

"Wirt, you never told me you had a pen pal," she said. "How long is he staying here?"

"The whole summer," said Wirt.

"Plenty of time to get to know each other," declared Bethany, holding the swing's chains. "Do you mind if I push you?"

"I don't mind, but I'd rather not—" Before Ereyon could finish his sentence, Bethany gave him a push. Ereyon blinked.

Rhondi was the next to ask him a question. "Ereyon," she uttered, "do you like it here?"

"Yes," retorted Ereyon.

_How long is this gonna take?_, Wirt thought.

"You must go to the top of the Eiffel Tower all the time, right?," queried a blushing Rhondi.

"It's the only way to see all of Paris," said Ereyon.

"Fascinating," said Kathleen.

Wirt groaned, which no one took note of. He looked over and saw Jason looking at them in a hurt way, like he was betrayed. Standing next to him was Sara, and she looked like she was trying not to show any form of bitterness. Wirt needed to end this.

"Uh, Ereyon, come on, I think Sara wants us for something," said Wirt, standing up and shoving Kathleen's arm away.

"Right behind you," hooted Ereyon, leaping off the swing and following Wirt. Kathleen and her clique watched them go, faces blanching.

Instead of walking up to Sara, like Wirt said, the boy led him a few feet away from the party.

"I should've known bringing you over was a bad idea," said Wirt, leaning against a tree.

"It's not necessarily your fault, Wirt," reassured Ereyon. "I on the other hand wish I could be unappealing. They'd ignore me."

"Well you're not."

Ereyon's angel eyes caught a view of the smallest details and his sensitive ears heard everything from the people's laughter to the distant animals that were close by. He tried not to, but reading everyone's minds was something he wasn't about to do.

"I can leave if you want," offered Ereyon.

"Nah, then they'll think something's wrong," said Wirt, arms crossed, looking at the empty street. "Now that you're here, you have to stay."

"What could possibly go wrong?" The redhead looked over his shoulder. The party was unraveling.

A whistle grabbed Wirt's attention. He looked over with furrowed eyebrows. Sara was waving to hi to come over.

"I'm going to see what she wants," muttered Wirt. "Just stay here and...if Kathleen comes back, you know what to do." Ereyon quickly nodded.

Wirt walked over to Sara. "What's up?"

"I couldn't help but notice that Ereyon seemed to be getting a lot of attention," said Sara.

"Yeah," said Wirt, sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

"He must hate it, though, doesn't he?"

"Poor guy can't help it if he turns heads."

Wirt bit his lip. "I also noticed Jason looking kind of...upset," he added. "Was it something he—"

"No, no," said Sara, "Jason's fine. Don't worry about it."

"Really? Cause from where I was looking he looked like he was upset that he was taking all the attention."

"No, it's alright; you said it yourself," reiterate Sara, "Ereyon can't help it."

"Good point."

Sara turned her head to the left, spotting Ereyon standing under the tree. The redhead glanced away when Sara looked him in the eye.

"Don't worry about Jason," said Sara, putting her arm around Wirt. "He's fine. Also, I think they're bringing out the chairs." She pointed to the Funderberker's bringing over plastic foldout chairs.

"Musical chairs?," commented Wirt, rainsing a brow. "Aren't we too old for this?"

"Come on, it's fun," jeered Sara. "We used to like it, remember? Kindergarten?"

"I remember."

"So, come one, let's go!"

The Funderburkers' brought over a boombox and set it on a lone chair.

"Hey, Wirt," said Kathleen, making Wirt jump, "is your friend playing?" She motioned towards the tall redhead standing under the tree.

"Ah, let him watch," replied Wirt, "he's not too fond of this game, anyways; he told me so."

"Oh." Kathleen's face fell.

A CD was placed into the boombox and the game commenced. Wirt was hoping this party would be worth it.

After three rounds, Ereyon finally mustered enough courage to join in the game. There were only about six chairs left. The redhead felt unsure, but from the looks of the guests, he fought back the fears and played. The boombox played a disco song, Ereyon, along with everyone, ran in circles around the available chairs. When the music stopped everyone scrambled to get a seat. Ereyon managed to get a chair, while Rhondi got left out. Wirt, Sara Jason, Kathleen and two other guests managed to get a seat.

"So," began Kathleen, glancing at Ereyon, "I was wondering... If you don't have any plans tomorrow night, I thought we could—"

"Sorry, but I can't," replied Ereyon.

"Oh, well, um, how about the next—"

"I can't because I already have a girlfriend back in France." Ereyon sat a little straighter. "Her name is Odeline. And it's starting to get serious."

Kathleen's face blanched. Wirt leaned over and gave her a smart aleck smile, relishing her moment of rejection.

"Oh," said Kathleen, "right, well, congratulations to you and Odeline." She stood up and walked away, heading for the snack table. She grabbed a soda.

"That was brutal," whispered Wirt, keeping his eyes on Kathleen.

"Perhaps," quoth Ereyon, "but then, she would have to leave me alone eventually."

"You said it."

"Another round!," cheeped Mrs. Funderburker.

The game continued on. The winner ended up being Craig, a young boy with cinnamon-colored skin and black hair and dark brown eyes. Someone suggested they'd play pin the tail on the donkey. Ereyon joined, feeling nervous wearing the blindfold, fearing he would poke someone with the pin. But nonetheless, Ereyon stumbled, blindfolded, and stuck the pin...on the donkey's backside, he realized once he removed the blindfold. The next game was a little more challenging, it was called the three-legged race. The starting point was from the playground to the basketball court several yards off. Wirt paired with Ereyon; Sara with Kathleen; Rhondi with Jason; and Bethany with Marcus; Craig and Bernice. Because of Ereyon's tallness he tripped over himself and knocked Bethany and Marcus. Both teams shared a laugh, finding amusement in their fall.

About fifteen minutes after the three-legged race it was time to break the piñata. The Funderberkers' hung the piñata from a tree a little past the playground. Mr. Funderberker brought three sets of bats from the back of the van. Everyone gathered round to commence the game, eyes alit.

"Who gets to go first?," asked Ereyon.

"Usually the guest of honor," replied Wirt, "in this case the birthday boy. Jason."

"Hmm."

Mrs. Funderberker was in charge of holding the rope that was tied to the piñata. She'd be lifting and lowering it once it starts. Mr. Funderberker gave the bat to his son, as the rule of birthdays command. Jason hit the piñata four or five times, but did not make a dent. By then it was someone else's turn.

"Woohoo! Go Sara!" Kathleen hollered, hands cupped around her mouth.

Sara whacked the piñata and being much stronger, she managed to knock a cone from the decorative shell. Everyone else cheered her on.

"Wow, Sara," said Rhondi. "That was awesome."

"Yeah." Sara handed her the bat.

It went on for about ten minutes. About four people had a turn on the piñata. Wirt was the fifth to have a go an she managed to make a few pieces of candy fall out of the hole.

"You almost got it," said Sara, clapping him on the shoulder.

"I did, didn't I?," quipped Wirt. He looked over to Ereyon, who had been standing behind them, just watching them break the piñata. "Why don't you take this one?" He handed him the bat.

"Oh, no, I... Really?" The redhead was baffled.

"Yeah, come on," insisted Wirt. "You're the only one hasn't had a turn."

"Give it a shot," said Sara.

"Yeah," said Rhondi.

"Come on, Ereyon," said Jason. "For my birthday."

The redhead couldn't deny him that. It was his first time attending a human birthday party. It was only polite to join in on the festivities. Leaving Heaven and experiencing a human life was the most fun he's ever had. Now he was looking at them, waiting for him to make his next move. He knew what he had to do.

"All right," said Ereyon, taking the bat. Everyone cheered.

"Looks like we've got a live one," said Mr. Funderburker, raising an eyebrow.

"Ereyon! Ereyon! Ereyon!"

"Go, Ereyon!," shouted Wirt.

"You've got this!," called Sara.

Ereyon looked at the piñata. It had lost three cones and it had a big enough hole to get some candy out. If he broke this piñata in one piece, then it was the tip of the iceberg. The redhead breathed in a stream of breath and focused. The piñata swung in front of him. The crowd cheered him on. He gripped the bat, not too hard, and swung. The blow from the bat was so strong that the piñata was disconnected from the rope and it went flying through the air. The piñata landed in the grass, candy pouring out of it.

The crowded went for the piñata after it was broken open. They didn't even give Ereyon a second glance.

"That's quite an arm," said Mr. Funderberker. "You play baseball?"

"Never have," said the redhead. "I'm just very strong."

"Well, any baseball team would be lucky to have you."

Ereyon smiled and nodded.

Sara came up to him with two handfuls of candy.

"Here," she said, holding up her hand. Ereyon took the small pile of sweets.

Wirt then approached them with his own candy.

"I've better save some for Greg," he said, shoving a handful into his pocket.

Ereyon unwrapped a lemon drop and popped it in his mouth. It was sour and sweet, tart and citrusy. He loved the flavor.

"Kind of gives you a kick," said Wirt. Ereyon nodded.

"Time for cake!," announced Mrs. Funderberker.

"Aw, sweet!" Wirt went up towards the snack table, where the cake was the center of it all. Mr. Funderberker was already lighting the candles.

After singing happy birthday to Jason, he blew out his candles. Officially sixteen. He even sliced the cake no matter how much his mother insisted he shouldn't.

"Here you go," said Jason, handing a plate to Bethany.

By the time Wirt got his slice, the cake was almost nearly gone.

"I hope no one wants seconds," retorted Wirt.

"If there isn't enough, I won't mind," insisted Ereyon.

"But really, you should get a piece," said Wirt. "It's really good."

Jason handed a plate to Ereyon. Against all he thought, he took it. The redhead took a small nibble, then an enormous bite upon realizing how good it really was.

"You really like that cake, huh?," quoth Sara. The redhead nodded.

"It tastes better than my mother's," replied Ereyon. Sara smirked.

"Hey," said Marcus, putting his arm around Jason, "great party, Jason. I'm loving this cake."

"Eh, heh. Thanks," said Jason, sheepishly.

"And on behalf of my friends here," said Marcus, "I would like to give a toast." He picked up a soda can in place of a glass and held it up. "To my best friend—"

A scream escaped a girl's throat. Everyone looked up to see a strange winged man swoop down on the ground before the befuddled party guests.

Ereyon dropped his plate, turning to Wirt. Getting the message, he followed Ereyon to the playground. Wirt ducked beneath a slide, with Ereyon crouching beside him. Wirt observed this mesmerizing angel. He was the same height as Ereyon. His wings were the same chestnut color as his straight shoulder-length hair. His amber eyes grabbed the attention of anyone who gazed upon him. But unlike Ereyon, this angel was dressed in all black. Wirt and Ereyon picked up the sound of footfalls approaching them. Unsure who it was, Ereyon got ready to fight. He calmed down when he saw that it was only Sara and Jason.

"What's going on?!," she shouted. "Who is that?"

"There's no time to explain," hissed Ereyon.

"But—" Jason uttered.

The redhead dug into his coat pockets, pulling out his silver cuffs. He slipped them onto his wrists. His red wings appeared, unfurling them to their intimidating expanse. Jason and Sara could only stare. The three watched him walk toward the chestnut-haired angel.

The party was a mess. People ran in every direction, most of them were leaving the park. A wise choice. Others hid, under the table, behind trees. The mysterious angel's telekinesis scared everyone into submission. The table was knocked over, food was spilled on the ground, paper plates flew in the air, like frisbees. The party was a chaotic cacophony. Who knew how it ends.

The angel looked around the park, at the screaming teenagers. He didn't find any interest in any of them. His apathetic look finally changed once he spotted a familiar redheaded angel.

"Ereyon," said the chestnut-haired angel. His voice was deep, like a baritone. And it was unfriendly.

"Iophiel," said Ereyon. He and Iophiel stood before each other, the tension between them growing darker.

Underneath the slide, Wirt, along with Sara and Jason, watched the two angels. Neither of them knew what was about to happen. Were they about to fight? Kill each other? Something worse? They didn't know, at least, Wirt didn't. He knew someone would try to take Ereyon back to Heaven, but he didn't think it would happen on his friend's birthday. This would be one birthday to remember.

"It is time," said Iophiel.

"Please, let me just explain," pleaded Ereyon.

"Enough time has been wasted," barked Iophiel. "It's time to return home."

Time could've passed between them and they wouldn't notice it. Each angel waited for the other to make their move.

Golden light emanated around Iophiel's hands. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way," he said.

Ereyon's hands glowed blue. "I love a good challenge," he said. "Always did."

"You and your flighty behavior."

Ereyon threw the first blow, sending a blast of blue sparks at Iophiel. The other angel took the blow gracefully, showing no reaction. Iophiel opened his wings and sent a blast of gold light at the redheaded angel. Ereyon dodged it and used his powers to levitate a bat to strike Iophiel in the head. Iophiel fell to the ground, grabbing at his head. Ereyon took to the sky, watching the chestnut-haired angel struggle to get on his feet. He looked over at the playground, specifically the slide where Wirt was hiding with Sara and Jason. He couldn't risk putting them in danger. He cared about them too much to risk having them killed.

Iophiel regained his senses and looked eyes at Ereyon up in the sky. He flew towards him like a cannonball. Ereyon swiftly moved out of the way, kicking Iophiel in the back. The amber-eyed angel punched Ereyon in the jaw, but the redhead was undeterred.

Ereyon's blue eyes glowed. He balled his fists, blue sparks emanating. Iophiel knew what was about to happen, but he couldn't let him do it. He lunged at him, but a strong blue light erupted like an explosion.

Wirt covered his eyes from the strong light. When he was sure it was over, he emerged from under the slide and stood watching the spot where the two angels were. They were gone.

Sara and Jason crawled out of the slide, keeping their eyes on Wirt, all while looking worried. Wirt knew they knew everything, there was no turning back. He looked at the park. Almost everyone was gone. Kathleen and her crew were gone. So was Marcus. And Craig. The only ones who stayed were a few classmates Wirt hardly knew. What was he going to say to them when they start asking questions? _If _they start asking questions. They were all probably too shaken to speak. It was better they forget. This was on Wirt's head. His and Sara and Jason. He knew he couldn't handle this alone.

"What just happened?" Sara asked him.

Wirt couldn't even speak a word.

* * *

**Ooh man. O.O I hope Ereyon didn't kill him. We'll see in chapter twelve. And I'll probably have to take a break to clear my mind because this chapter really drained me. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Woo! Two chapters in one month! XD *pumps fist in the air* Yeah! I have to admit, writing this was draining. Almost as taxing as the last chapter. But I was eager to see the events in the next chapter. Can't wait to get started on the thirteenth chapter. :D **

**Man, I never thought I'd get this far into my story. It pays off having waited a year to publish it. (But wishing I had started this a year ago would've been better, too). Well, anyways, writing this has given me an outlet to unravel all these ideas. **

**As always, read and review. **

* * *

Three weeks passed after the fiasco at Jason's party. Ereyon disappearing after that, and Wirt hadn't seen sign of him. Nobody else talked about it. After the disaster that took hold, everyone brushed it off as an accident. Whenever Wirt talked to his classmates, they just said that it was only a scuffle with a relative of Jason. Wirt was astounded. Either they were good liars, or Ereyon did something to manipulate everyone's memories. The angel did say that he could do that, but Wirt didn't think he'd do it on a whole birthday party. Perhaps it was the only thing he could come up with at short notice.

In that time, Wirt spent his days reading, sketching, spending time with his family, playing his clarinet, and most importantly, apparently, looking for signs of Ereyon. He spent every night looking out his window, hoping for a sign.

Of course Sara and Jason knew about Ereyon being an angel. Wirt thought their memories were changed, but they were aware of what transpired. He wondered why they weren't changed like everyone else. Maybe Ereyon trusted them as much he trusted Wirt. That's probably the reason. Finding out Ereyon's true identity as an angel was quite a shock to them. They were upset that Wirt didn't tell them about Ereyon's angel status. After Wirt explained it to them in explicate detail, the two understood as well as showing sympathy for both Wirt and the fugitive angel. Sara and Jason offered to look out for any signs of Ereyon.

Whenever he went out Wirt excused himself by saying he was going to see Ereyon, to keep it vague. They regularly asked him questions about Ereyon's wellbeing, Wirt would always answer by saying that he was fine and that he busy; by busy, Wirt would tell his parents Ereyon was helping his aunt and uncle unpack the last of their boxes, or applying for colleges. It was believable and no questions were asked. It hurt Wirt to lie, but he couldn't tell them the truth.

It was getting close to July. Wirt crossed out the days on his calendar for June. In that time, Wirt found it more difficult to go a peaceful moment without Ereyon by his side. Many times he yearned to go to the cemetery, but relented on the thought that people would start to get suspicious. Him going to the cemetery on a frequent basis would raise some questions, which Wirt was not ready to stand for. He thought about seeing Lyle the grave keeper, but he knew the old man would ask him questions about his exploits in the woods.

Wirt would think back to that night, the night he found him. How frightened he looked. The way he quickly warmed up to Wirt. It was amazing how so much has happened in so little time. Still, Wirt wasn't losing hope. Wherever Ereyon was, he hoped he all right. Wirt would give anything to see him again. He didn't realize how important Ereyon was to him. He didn't care that he was human, but Wirt was willing to protect Ereyon from anything. He did is much when he was in the Unknown. He helped so many people there. He helped save the school for animals, cured Lorna of her "illness," and, most importantly, he faced the Beast and saved Greg. That was something not everyone can survive. Dying and coming back to life. That was something out of this world.

Thinking back to Ereyon and his angel status, Wirt wondered about telling Greg the truth. Just him. If he was to do that, he would have to be very firm and very serious with him. He would have to use everything he can think of to make Greg promise not to tell anyone. The revealing would be easy, but explaining everything would be the hard part. And then there was the harder part: telling him why he lied. Lying, any form of lying, was wrong. But Greg would understand. He wasn't one to hold grudges, and even if he didn't forgive him for lying, Wirt would feel better knowing that he risked asking him.

Today was two days before the end of June. Soon he would have to change the calendar to welcome July for the year. Nearly a month has passed, and Wirt's thoughts always went back to Ereyon, and that chestnut-haired angel. And who was that angel? Was he one of the ones that tried to rewire Ereyon? He must be. Ereyon told him that there would be angels who would try to drag him back to Heaven. That much he knew. Once Ereyon comes back, he would ask him everything about the angel who attacked him. That is, if he ever came back.

Wirt walked over to his bed with his clarinet in his hands. He'd played a few songs to take his mind off Ereyon's disappearance. He usually played songs by Mozart, Rachmaninoff, The Flight of the Bumblebee. Typical classic tunes. He wished he'd gotten a chance to play some for Ereyon. That was the one thing he regretted doing. How he wished the redheaded angel were here right now.

He heard a knock downstairs. He wondered who was coming. His mother's voice trilled through the house. The front door opened. He heard a familiar voice.

"Hi, we're here to see Wirt." It was Sara's voice. The next one was obvious.

"Is he home?" Jason's voice was never going to be forgotten.

"He is," his mother told them. "Wirt, Sara and Jason are here to see you."

"Coming!" Wirt called. He put his clarinet back in its case and walked downstairs.

"Hi, Wirt," said Sara, "we were wondering if you wanted to hang out today."

"Uh, yeah, sure," replied Wirt. Anything to keep his mind off Ereyon.

"Have fun, you three," said Jeannette. "Don't come home too late, Wirt." She added as a reminder.

"I won't, Mom."

Once the three the were outside and the door was closed, they began their walk. That's when the whole conversation started.

"Have you seen any sign of him yet?," asked Sara. Wirt shook his head. Sara's face fell.

"That's too bad," said Jason.

"I don't suppose either of you have spotted him," said Wirt. Sara and Jason shook their heads. So much for a miracle.

The trio crossed the street and continued there. About six blocks down they made a left turn and continued the walk until they reached another crosswalk.

"Hey, let's say we get you an ice cream?," suggested Sara.

Wirt's ears perked at the mention of ice cream. He hadn't considered it, but he could use something sweet right now. He nodded.

Scoops n Smiles was a cheerful ice cream parlor specializing in good service and great ice cream. The flavors were phenomenal and the decor: bright colors, twinkly music, all the necessities in drawing in customers, in this case, mostly, children. Wirt and Greg were frequent customers of Scoops n Smiles. The brothers came here to celebrate a good report card, or just to pass the time. If only he knew they were going to come here, he would've brought Greg along.

"I'm going to have a lemon lime sorbet," said Sara, looking at the flavors on the menu. She turned to look at Wirt. "What will you have?"

Wirt glanced at the menu on the wall. "I think I'll have a berryfruit sorbet this time," he replied.

"I'll just have chocolate." Jason uttered.

After the three got their ice creams, they sat at a table in the middle of the parlor. Neither one started a conversation, since they would end talking about Ereyon. No one could blame them for taking about him. Ereyon was an angel walking among humans. Which was why Wirt didn't start when Sara spoke up.

"So," she took a mouthful of sorbet before continuing speaking, "does Greg know about...Ereyon?" Wirt knew what she meant by that.

"No," said Wirt, frowning.

"You should tell him."

Wirt winced. He thought about telling Greg, and he knew it would happen someday. Despite how many times he tried to deny it or bargain with it, telling Greg the truth was creeping ever closer. But the question he asked himself was when.

"I don't know," said Wirt, picking at his own ice cream. "I want to tell him, but when? Should I tell him tonight or tomorrow? And how will he handle it? And, oh god, I hope he doesn't tell anyone. That's what I'm afraid of the most." He took a bite of his sorbet, which honestly was delicious: sweet and juicy and full of pump.

Sara and Jason looked at each other and back. They both then looked at Wirt.

"Well," began Sara, "let's think of a way to tell Greg. And about making him not tell anyone. Let's not threaten him, or scare him. The right way would be to explain to him how important it is to us that Ereyon's secret remains secret." Sara had a good head on her shoulders, Wirt has to admire that.

"Yeah, but, what about when he sees him?" Jason queried. "He has to see him in order to believe him."

"That's also true."

"So what?" Wirt uttered. "We wait until Ereyon comes back so that Greg can see him? What if he never comes back?"

"Then, it must be the only way Ereyon can protect us." Sara slumped her shoulders. "He doesn't want us to be in danger."

Even though they've been through that subject several times, Wirt knew she was right.

"I miss him," muttered Wirt, perching his cheek on his palm.

"Me too," uttered Sara. Jason didn't have anything to say on account that he too missed Ereyon.

"What did Ereyon tell you?" Sara asked. "Why did he leave Heaven?"

"He just said that he rebelled." Wirt answered. "But since you asked, I'm starting to believe there's something more to that."

Sara quirked an eyebrow.

"What I mean is, I'm starting to believe he did something worse to have another angel come after him."

"And who was that other angel?" Sara asked. "Did Ereyon tell you who he was?"

"No," replied Wirt, shaking his head. "The only thing he told me was what each angel did according to their rank."

"Meaning?" Jason quoth.

"Every angel in Heaven does one thing," explained Wirt. "For example, Ereyon was a regular angel. His job was to watch over the earth. That was it, but he took pity on humans..." He didn't know whether to continue or stop.

"So, he...wanted to be one of us?" Sara finished for him. Wirt nodded.

"What else?" Jason uttered.

"All he told me was that things up in Heaven were..._monotonous_, to say the least."

Jason looked like he wanted to ask more but wisely held his tongue.

"What about the obvious?" Sara queried. "You know? Him getting captured? Did he talk to you about that?"

"Yeah," responded Wirt, "it came up a few times."

"And what did he tell you?," asked Jason.

"He said that he'd try to get the angels to let him stay," replied Wirt, "make them understand. But I don't think that angel wants to understand."

"Wow," said Sara. She took a bite of her sorbet to alleviate the hurt.

Wirt took small spoonful of berry sorbet as he pondered the next possible outcomes. He thought about how his life would be without Ereyon in it. He knew his life would go back to being the way it was before Ereyon showed up. When he imagined his life without Ereyon he just dreaded it. Wirt had accepted the angel into his life. He had become an important part of him. As he looked around the sunny-colored place, how it reflected the opposite of his current mood, Wirt wanted to leave but felt the urge to stay because it reminded him of his lost innocence.

Sara sighed. "Well," she muttered, "I guess it's back to looking out the windows for him."

"Maybe we can try to lure him to us," offered Jason.

"Huh?" Wirt glanced up.

"Well, you know, put out something that can draw angels to us," explained Jason. "Something pretty. Something that no angel can resist."

"But what if we end up luring the wrong angel?" Sara inquired. "And I don't mean to be so nosy, but how do you lure an angel?" She looked to Wirt for answers.

"Well, the usual way is to pray, everyone knows that," said Wirt. "Ereyon also said angels can pick up other feelings, like desires, despair, pain. He also told me how some people light candles to communicate with angels."

"What would you recommend?" Sara queried.

"It was something I've thought about doing, but it might sound silly."

"What is it?" Jason asked.

"I thought about writing a short letter and tying it to a balloon," replied Wirt.

"That's..." Sara had a hard time finding her words.

"I know," quipped Wirt, slumping his shoulders, rolling his eyes. "It's dumb."

"No, it's not," said Sara. "I think it's a good idea. Constructive, original."

"Should we try it?," mumbled Jason.

"And what if that other angel finds it?" Wirt said firmly. "No, I... I don't know." He stirred his sorbet with his spoon absentmindedly. "I'm just... I'm just so worried about him."

"We both are." Sara offered a small smile. "It's going to be all right."

Wirt returned the smile, quickly nodding. Then he stood up.

"Where're you going?" Jason spoke.

"I'm going to get an ice cream for Greg." Wirt answered. "So he doesn't feel left out."

"That's sweet," quoth Sara.

"Yeah, I'm getting him a peach mango surprise."

Sara grinned.

* * *

It seemed that sleep wouldn't be coming to him this night, as if Wirt wasn't having a hard time already. Ereyon and his whereabouts were always on his mind, and that other angel. The one with the chestnut hair and wings. Wirt laid on his back, eyes staring straight at the ceiling. Keeping Greg ignorant about Ereyon's true identity was starting to get to him. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. But for how long? Should Wirt also tell his parents? No. Something worse might happen. Something worse than worse. He didn't want to imagine it, so he looked over at his window.

_Where are you, Ereyon?_, thought Wirt helplessly. _I miss you. I worry about you._

"Am I really doing this?," he asked himself. "Am I actually praying to him?" _I don't know what to think now, I just hope he hears this. Yet I'm hoping he won't._

When he said he'd do anything to see Ereyon again, he meant anything. Wirt missed the redheaded angel everyday. _Wherever he is_, he wondered. Was he safe? Hurt?

He thought about going to see if he was hiding in the cabin in the forest. It'd be the obvious place to check, but he was afraid of giving himself away to the chestnut-haired angel. And more importantly, what rank of angel was he? Was he an archangel? A virtue? A dominion? Wirt wasn't sure. Ereyon didn't mention what they looked like, or what they wore. Ereyon dressed the same as that other angel, except the chestnut-haired angel dressed completely in black. With his white skin and amber eyes, the result: he was unearthly enchanting as well as looking foreboding. Haunting and alluring. Terrifying yet unyieldingly seductively. Contrasting appearance with personality.

A tap on the window broke Wirt's thinking. He shot upright, confused. He saw a silhouette looking at him from outside. Could this be? Wirt jumped out of bed and raced to the window. Opening it, he was sure he thought this was an illusion. But looking at him, Wirt knew this was no dream.

"Ereyon," said Wirt.

He stepped aside to let Ereyon step inside. The angel folded his wings and gingerly stepped in through the window. Remembering he was here uninvited Ereyon remembered to keep his voice down. As soon as Wirt closed the window the boy took a moment to rein in all this dizzying drama. Ereyon was wearing the same thing he wore to Jason's party. Obvious he couldn't find the time to find a different set of clothes to wear, but all that mattered was that he was here. He crouched beside the window, drawing the blinds.

"Ereyon, what ha—Where've you—Why—How?" It was evident from Wirt's bewilderment that he was having a hard time processing Ereyon's return.

"I know this comes as a shock but believe me," said Ereyon, crouching down next to him, "I'm glad to see you, too."

Everything came rushing to him all at once. All Wirt could do was fling his arms around the angel. He didn't care that he would be gone again, he just wanted to make every moment count. Ereyon, with his wings opened, wasn't used to this kind of affection, but he somewhat liked it. He encircled Wirt in a hug, folding his wings around them. Wirt pulled away, wiping his eyes with his arm.

"Are you all right?," asked Ereyon, noting the tear streaks down his face.

"Yeah, yeah," he said with a forced chuckle. "I just...I just can't believe you're really here."

"Right," replied Ereyon. "I see how my absence has left you languishing, but don't think for a second that I didn't think about you."

Wirt smiled, not caring about the new tears forming.

"Where've you been?" Wirt asked. "Where were you before coming here?"

"Everywhere," answered Ereyon. "After Iophiel sacked the party, I had to make an escape. What you saw that day was a teleportation spell. We both ended up on different hemispheres. I was somewhere all the way in the west, and I don't know where Iophiel ended up."

"Wow," said Wirt flatly.

Ereyon continued. "I knew I couldn't go back here because I knew Iophiel would just come after me, so I had to get him off track. I had him on a wild goose chase, get him so lost, he'd be unable to find me." He paused to regain his bearings. "The places I'd go, I picked them at random, never the same place twice." He stopped again, feeling a surge of self-hate accumulate. "I...I don't want to go back home, Wirt."

Wirt lightly touched Ereyon's shoulder. "Hey, it's alright," he reassured. "I understand why you had to leave. There's so much I want to know, and—and... I guess I should focus on one thing, though... Right?"

The angel gave a warm smile, letting Wirt know that everything was all right. And he was happy to answer any other questions to come.

"There is one thing I want to know," said Wirt, "back at the party when...you and...Iophiel—" he looked at Ereyon, hoping he got the name the right. Ereyon nodded and that was Wirt's call to continue. "Well, when you two disappeared...you erased everyone's memories, but not Jason's or Sara's. Why? Why the others and not them?"

The redheaded angel bit his lip before answering. "I erased everyone else's memories to save them from a fate they cannot handle." He paused before he gave him the rest of the answer. "I didn't erase Sara and Jason's memories...because I feel like I'm going to need more help to thwart off Iophiel and his followers."

"There are more?" Wirt uttered.

Ereyon nodded. "Iophiel is an archangel and every archangel has a small number of angels to command."

"He's an archangel?" Wirt mumbled. "I would've thought he was a dominion or a virtue."

The redheaded angel didn't respond, but rather sat there, quiet. He glanced over at the floor, then the wall and back. Whatever was on his mind, he couldn't hide it any longer.

"Hey, so," said Wirt, "I was planning on telling Greg the truth about you." Ereyon's full attention was gartered by that remark. His blue eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Wirt, you can't," he rasped. His wings flapped once, reflecting the panic in him.

"Why not?" Wirt retorted. "Greg's been asking about you everyday. And I've been telling him you're busy or off with your aunt and uncle. I've come up with all sorts of lies to placate him, maybe it's time you show him your true self to him."

Ereyon looked like he wanted to argue back, but knowing that his parents were asleep and waking them might add more drama to what he was going through. And Greg seeing him like this, he didn't the he could handle exposure this way. It was better to show him at his own pace. Wirt was right, as much as he'd like to contradict his opinion.

"..." Ereyon had enough. He was in a right spot, adding more would make things worse. "All right," he gasped. "I'll tell him tomorrow. Him _and_ Sara and Jason."

Wirt let out a breath, feeling a million times calmer. "Okay," he uttered.

Ereyon folded his wings against his back. "Wirt," he said, "since I'm being honest with you, I'd like to get something off my chest."

Wirt's ears pricked. The mention of that put him on board.

"You see," the redhead had a hard time figuring out what to say or how to say it. "I may have left out a few things about my rebelling against Heaven."

"Oh?" Wirt raised a brow.

There was a deep pause.

"Yes," said the red-winged angel. "I...I'd tell you, but you should get some sleep. I'll tell you everything tomorrow."

Wirt looked ready to talk back, but he didn't want to start an argument. Ereyon was here, and he was willing to wait until the next day for everything. This he could abide.

"Okay," replied Wirt, "but could you do me a favor?"

"Yes, anything," said Ereyon.

"Please stay here, until tomorrow. You can slip out before the sun rises."

The blue-eyed angel smiled gently. "I'll stay," he replied, "it'll be good to stay in one place for a night."

Wirt stood up and traipsed back to the bed, yawning.

"Sara and Jason will be glad to see you, too," he said to the angel. "And Greg." He included as he laid down. He pulled the covers up to his chin. Seconds later he was back to sleep.

The redhaired angel smiled and sat there on the carpeted floor. He hoped Wirt's friends would understand, or better yet be able to handle the truth. About his true nature, and everything else he'd been hiding. Would they be able to handle fighting off Iophiel and his followers? Only time would be able to tell that.

For now, he had to wait.

* * *

**Ereyon's back, yay! And he's been on the run for quite awhile. Poor guy. :( At least we know that chestnut-haired angel's name. Let's hope he doesn't cause too much damage.**

**And what is Ereyon hiding? Let's hope everything gets settled in the next chapter. **

**Don't go away now. ;D **


	13. Chapter 13

***lets out an exasperated groan* Ah man, that took forever. You won't believe how long this took me. I'm telling you, this stuff isn't easy. Writing this nearly killed me and you can see why. It was intense as hell, I nearly wished for the sweet release of death, but I managed to finish it before I did something I might regret. It's soul-crushing.**

**So, um, this is where everything is revealed. Ereyon tells Wirt and his friends who he really is and it creates a lot of tension between them, especially with Wirt. I hope everything turns out alright. **

**As always, read and review. ;) Keep a lookout for chapter fourteen. **

* * *

Like he promised, Ereyon stayed with Wirt while he slept the whole night. By the time Wirt woke up, before the sun was high in the sky, he opened the window for Ereyon to get out, promising to meet him and his friends in the forest. It was the least he could do on short notice. Not to mention Sara and Jason's reactions to the angel's return. Including Greg's reaction. Wirt had almost forgotten about him. He was going to take him and his friends to the forest and from there, everything will be revealed.

The other angel, Iophiel, was still in the wind. Who knows where he was. He could be nearby, or maybe somewhere far away. Ereyon had been keeping him distracted for so long, he's probably still lost on the other side of the planet. Perhaps he's found his way back and figured out it was all a ploy. Wirt couldn't risk having Iophiel attacking him and his family.

Wirt planned out the whole thing during breakfast. He was going to tell Greg about taking him out to meet Ereyon in the forest. Including that Ereyon's aunt and uncle would be watching them softened the tension. That was exactly what he told his parents right after breakfast was finished and Greg couldn't be more excited. The young boy spent the rest of the morning getting ready. Of course, Wirt spent a few good minutes raptly listening to Greg's questions and answering them. It was the same as before, wondering where Ereyon was and what he's been doing. Not to mention asking what Ereyon was going to show them at the forest. Wirt insisted that it was a secret and that it was to remain secret until they went to the forest. With that, Greg was willing to cooperate.

It was good to see him excited, even if he would learn the truth later.

Wirt called Sara and Jason while Greg was busily gathering things to take with him to the forest. Wirt had taken the phone up to his room with him. It was the only safe place where no one would overhear. As soon as each picked up, he told them about Ereyon's return. Their reactions were as he expected. They both began asking intrusive questions about the angel and his whereabouts. He answered them in as much detail as he could muster, but the next part was one he had trouble getting out. Wirt told them about Ereyon waiting for them on the forest, and that he was bringing Greg. That left Sara and Jason surprised, they knew Wirt planned on telling him but not this soon. Wirt was happy to have their understanding. As soon as he hung up, he was already dreading it.

He hoped nothing bad happens on this forest trip.

"Greg, come on!" Wirt shouted from downstairs.

"Right behind you!" Greg cheeped, hopping down the stairs. Greg was wearing a dark pine green sweater with a picture of a frog on it. His favorite out of all of them.

"Bye, Mom," said Wirt to his mother.

"Bye, you two," said Jeannette. "Be careful in the woods, I don't want either of you coming back with poison ivy or cuts or anything."

"We'll be fine, Mom," said Wirt, as he opened the front door.

"Yeah," chirped Greg, "you can count on Wirt to look out for us."

Jeannette chuckled. "Well, have a good time."

Wirt waved to his mother before going out the door.

"Oh boy, oh boy!" Greg hopped down the steps, eagerness sparkling in his eyes. "We're going to the forest! What's Ereyon gonna show us?"

"I told you it's a surprise." Wirt said, walking alongside him.

"What kind of surprise?"

"You'll see when we get to the forest."

The two brothers walked down the sidewalk. On the way, Greg popped up a question.

"So, are Sara and Jason really coming, too?"

"Yeah," replied Wirt.

"Are they in on the surprise, too?"

"Sure are."

"Whatever it is I wanna tell my frie—"

"Whoa, Greg, no," warned Wirt.

"Huh?" Greg looked up at his older brother. Wirt stooped down and placed his hands in Greg's shoulders.

"You remember what we talked about secrets?," he asked his younger brother.

"Yeah." Greg responded, perking up.

"And you know you have to keep secrets _secret_, right?" Wirt hoped he was getting through to him. "You keep all of Francette's secrets, don't you?"

"Yeah!" Greg's eyes were wide as saucers. "She tells me all sorts of secrets."

"And she tells you keep them a secret."

"Yes."

"And it's important that you know that Ereyon's secret stays secret." Wirt bit his lip, trying to come up with a convincing enough reason. "If you tell someone about Ereyon's secret, he's going to get upset."

"I understand, Wirt," said Greg. "I'm not going to tell anyone Ereyon's secret."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Wirt stood up and they continued their walk.

"Alright," said Wirt, more to himself than to anyone else. "This might actually work."

"Yeah, I won't tell anyone," cheeped Greg. "Cross my heart and hope to die."

"You don't need to swear by that," reminded Wirt.

"Okay."

* * *

The walk to the forest was not as hectic as Wirt thought. He even used the shortcut Lyle told him about. Greg was mostly surprised to find out Lyle was in fact a nice man and not the cantankerous old geezer he imagined him to be. After meeting him, Greg spent the hike talking, mostly about his song ideas, jokes, pointing out animals he spotted and asking about Ereyon's secret. Wirt, of course, told him he would find out when they get to their destination. This was reason to keep him quiet.

Wirt saw the cabin in view. Just a few more yards. He hoped Ereyon was already inside, or maybe he was somewhere else. If it was the former, then he and Greg would just have to wait for him. He hoped Sara and Jason weren't too late in coming to the forest.

"Is that where Ereyon lives?" Greg asked, pointing at the cabin.

"No," replied Wirt. "That's where we're meeting him. This place hasn't been lived in in years."

"Oh," said Greg, "looks like it's haunted."

The two circled the house and looked on at the the ramshackle dwelling.

"When are Sara and Jason coming?," asked Greg.

"Soon." He looked around his surroundings. "Don't go inside, Greg," he added. He walked up to the house and sat down on the steps.

"Okay," said Greg, sitting beside him, he looked over his shoulder and just as quickly turned away. "There's probably a ghost in there."

"Hmm."

Wirt looked down at the ground. He saw an army of ants marching in a single file line.

"Hey, look," chirped Greg, pointing at the ants. He rose to his feet and followed them.

"Don't go too far, Greg," reminded Wirt. _I sound just like Mom._ He furrowed his brow over his overprotectiveness. He peeked over at his brother. But it's nice to see him happy. Greg was crouched over, watching the ants marching.

"Your name can be Arnold," said Greg to an ant whilst pointing at each one. "And your name can be Arthur... And yours can be Anthony... And yours can be Annie... And your..."

Wirt smirked and shook his head. _L__ook at him. So happy in his little world. I wish he could stay like this forever..._

Gazing up at the treetops, he wondered where Ereyon might be right now. It was obvious that he wasn't up in the cabin. If he was, he would've come out by now. Wherever he was, Wirt was willing to wait for him, at least until Sara and Jason showed up. He wondered how long it'll be until those two arrived as well.

Greg spent his time picking up rocks, intend on starting a rock collection.

"Hey, do you think Ereyon will like my rock collection?" Greg asked, laying his rocks on the steps.

"I'm sure he will," replied Wirt, examining the rocks.

Greg was about to settle down when he saw a dragonfly whizz by and his excitement was caught like a fish on a reel.

"Did you see that?" Greg asked, pointing.

"Oh yeah, I saw it," said Wirt, nodding.

After following the dragonfly dart through the air like an arrow, Greg went back to sit with his older brother on the porch steps.

About twenty minutes later, the brothers heard a series of voices wafting from behind the cabin.

"Do you think they're here yet?," a girl's voice asked.

"I don't know," replied the other one, belonging to a familiar boy.

"They're here!," cheeped Greg, kicking his legs. He jumped down the steps and went to greet them. "Guys, we're over here!"

From the corner of the house, Sara and Jason emerged, taking in the cabin's decaying facade, giving off this rundown haunted vibe.

"Wirt!" Sara hooted, waving to Wirt.

"Guys." Wirt stood up and approached them.

"Hey, so..." Sara trailed off, not wanting to let anything slip in front of Greg.

"Right," sighed Wirt, shrugging.

"Well..." Jason looked around the cabin's surroundings.

"Hey, when's Ereyon coming?," queried Greg. "Is he lost or something?"

"No, he's just..." Sara quickly thought of something believable. "...running late." She offered a smile, which got Greg smiling back.

"Wanna see my new rock collection?," he chirped.

"Sure."

Greg took Sara's hand and led her to the porch steps. While they were distracted, Jason turned to look at Wirt.

"So, uh," he uttered, nervous.

Wirt breathed in a sigh. "I didn't tell Greg Ereyon's secret," he said, knowing that was what Jason wanted to say. "I believe it'd be better if Ereyon tells him himself." Forcing a sad smile, he included. "He'll understand, right?"

"Well, you never know," replied Jason. "Children can be more resilient than we'd like to believe. You've gotta give the credit for how bright they can be."

"I know."

The two joined Sara and Greg on the porch.

"And this one I wanna call Rocky," said Greg, holding up a small gray rock. "And this one's name can be Pebble."

"Nice." Sara nodded.

Wirt smiled sweetly. He sat down on the bottom step, waiting for the day to drag along.

The four waited for what seemed like an eternity for Ereyon to arrive. To pass the time, the quartet entertained themselves with I spy and a game of freeze tag. It made time go by, but the anticipation was getting to them, especially Wirt, who'd never admit it verbally. Every moment or so, Wirt would look into the tree tunnel before him, hoping to see Ereyon on his way to this very cabin.

Wirt checked his watch. Almost one o'clock. He hoped he came soon, or else this would've been all for nothing, and he might've ruined Greg's day. Just wait a few minutes longer.

Ten minutes later, Wirt noticed something. He stepped down from the porch. Jogging a few yards away, he saw a figure come into view. Sure enough, Wirt knew that was Ereyon. No doubt about. He glanced over at his friends.

"Hey," he called to them, sprinting back, "he's coming."

"He is?" Sara uttered, quirking a brow.

"Yeah."

Greg, dropping the twigs he was thrusting into the dirt, ran up to his brother, gleefully awaiting Ereyon's arrival.

In a few moments, the redhead was already walking up to them. To their sheer relief, he didn't have his wings out. At least, not yet. He took in each of the humans' presences, regarding them just so.

"Ereyon!," chirruped Greg, waving.

"Hello, Greg," said Ereyon.

"Where've you been, I haven't seen you in forever!"

Ereyon chuckled. "I've just been busy," he replied.

"So, um, let's all sit down," suggested Wirt. "You must have a lot to talk about."

The five sat down on the grass in a circle. An expected silenced took hold. Sara and Jason, knowing full well what was about to transpire, braced themselves for the moment all will be revealed.

"Wirt says you have a secret," said Greg. The redhead blinked.

"That," he began, "that I do." His voice sounded unusually nervous. It was as if the boy could see through his serene facade and see who he truly is.

"What is it?"

That was the hard part. If Wirt prepared him for this revelation, then showing his true self would be easier than he thought. But still, Ereyon wanted to be sure the young boy could handle it. Looking at Sara and Jason, there was reassurance in their gazes. They'd seen him with his wings at Jason's party, which the angel was still sorry for. But, they were all here and he needed to move things along.

Ereyon dug into his pockets. The silver cuffs flashed in the sunlight peeking through the treetops.

"Ooh," cooed Greg, eyes widening. He crawled closer to Ereyon. "What are those?"

"You're about to see."

Ereyon rolled up his sleeves and slipped the wrist cuffs on. In an instant, the red wings appeared in a burst of blue sparkles.

"Whoa," cooed Sara, eyes widening. Jason blinked.

Greg's smile faltered, changing to astonished wonder with fear. His wide brown eyes stared at Ereyon's red wings, taking in all their red expanse.

"You're not from France, are you?," he uttered, unable to take his eyes off the redheaded angel.

"Sadly I'm not," responded Ereyon, smiling.

"You're a...?"

"An angel, yes."

Greg continued to stare at Ereyon's unfurled wings, mouth slightly opened. He couldn't get any more words out.

"So," Sara said.

Wirt knew this was his cue to explain everything. Even though he told Sara and Jason the truth he needed to say it again, for Greg's sake.

"I found Ereyon in the forest one night last month," he began, "after I saw him flying for the forest. So...I went into the forest...and found him. He was in a crater, probably from the impact."

"Crater?" Greg piped.

"Yeah, a crater," repeated Wirt. "He crashed. Ereyon was unconscious and I turn him over to see if he was injured. Boy, he really startled me when he woke up."

"I believe we were both shaken that night." Ereyon interjected, smiling sheepishly.

Wirt chuckled and shrugged.

"Why did you leave Heaven?," inquired Greg, looking Ereyon in the eye.

This was something Ereyon had trouble getting out. He'd already hidden enough secrets from Wirt, Sara, Jason and now Greg. Too much time been wasted, and he was afraid he'd never seen these people again. Folding his wings against his back, Ereyon balled his hands into fists, and urged himself to speak.

"I broke the rules in Heaven," said Ereyon. "That's why I left."

Wirt looked down at the grass, contemplating the next statement he was about to utter.

"Um, Ereyon," said Wirt, "uh, about the thing you told me last night."

"Huh?" Greg sighed.

"Right, about that..." Wirt scratched the back of his head. "I, uh, I...might've forgotten to tell you that he came over last night."

"Why didn't you tell me?," asked Greg.

"Because I knew you would go blabbing it to Mom and Dad."

"I wouldn't—" the boy stopped short. "You're probably right about that."

Sara pointedly ignored Greg and looked at Ereyon. "What were you going to say to us?"

Again, a knot twisted in Ereyon's stomach. Did these four really want to find out everything about him and his kind? Somehow being on the run and hiding were sounding like much better alternatives than this. But, on his promise, he was going to be honest and tell them the truth.

"I," said Ereyon, his voice shaking. "I may not have been completely honest with you," he said this directly to Wirt. Looking over at Jason and Sara, he added, "To any of you."

"Well, what is it?" Sara prodded.

"I broke the rules of Heaven, yes, that is true," continued Ereyon. "But I'm no ordinary angel."

Wirt quirked a brow. The red-winged angel turned to him.

"Remember when I told you about the different angel ranks?"

Wirt could only nod as an answer.

"Well," began Ereyon, "the truth is...I'm not really a guardian angel. I'm a rank of angel called a caelum."

Wirt and Sara stared while Jason blinked, and Greg sat with his mouth slightly opened, trying not to stare so much.

"And," said Wirt, grabbing his bearings, "what does...a caelum do?"

The angel closed his for a moment, reining in his inner turmoil.

"You see," he said after opening his eyes, "I'm...next in line for the Throne of Heaven."

A beat pulsed in Wirt's brain. Sara raised an eyebrow in puzzlement. Jason and Greg just stared.

"So you're a...?" Wirt's words were stolen right from his mouth.

"A prince?" Sara interjected, the stunned look still frozen on her face.

"Whoa." Greg muttered.

"But..." Wirt struggled to get the words out, or better yet thread them into something concise. It seemed like it would be a while for him to carefully word his sentences.

"What happened?," inquired Sara. "Why did you defect?"

Just as quickly, Ereyon responded calmly. "There are only four caelum angels. My brothers: Melkyal, Umuviel, Telynohn...and me." He let out a sigh. "We're the highest ranking angels in Heaven. God's kingdom, but under our heel..." He obviously wanted to continue, but his friends could pretty much understand from what he explained.

"What happened to your brothers?" Wirt asked. He surprised even himself, considering he'd been quiet for a long while.

"My brothers..." He looked down absentmindedly, like he'd forgotten something important. "I... My oldest brother, Melkyal, was killed a hundred thousand years ago by a demon."

"Oh dear," muttered Sara, hand covering her mouth. Jason was too stricken to even say anything.

"Whoa...," whispered Wirt.

Ereyon bit his lip as he got ready to continue. "The title and mantle was passed on to Umuviel. He ruled Heaven for several thousand years, but then..." Again, he paused, a lump forming in his throat.

Wirt patted him on the arm, offering a comforting smile. Unsure of what to say, Ereyon found the courage to keep talking.

"Umuviel was on his way to a diplomatic mission," he said, "with these jinn. It was to forge an alliance between both races. The jinn queen bargained with Umuviel. She proposed a political marriage with her daughter to bring peace among angels and jinn. But...as soon as Umuviel said no it came down like thunder from there. There was a terrible fight. Umuviel was killed by the jinn queen. Even now things are even more tense than they were then."

"Wow." Sara exhaled, feeling her heart sever.

Ereyon's wings quickly snapped then closed. "Telynohn inherited the Throne after Umuviel's passing. He offered the jinns an armistice." He winced. "I knew that Telyhohn would be a just leader, but I knew something dire would happen."

"What happened to Telynohn?" Greg asked.

The redheaded angel closed his eyes, sucking in a breath. He felt like he was swallowing steel wool. "It all happened a few months ago," he answered in a throaty voice. He paused, placing a hand on his chest, heaving with every breath he took. Once he was up for it, he continued. "Apparently, the armistice didn't last very long. The jinn queen wasn't at all pleased that Umuviel didn't accept the proposal. And she and her daughter invaded Heaven. It was a horrible bloodshed. I fought alongside my brother..." He closed his eyes. "If I only I'd been faster." He forced out a labored breath. "She stabbed Telynohn. Before his final breath he managed to slice her head off."

Jason coughed roughly while Sara's shocked face never faltered. Greg muttered and crawled over to Wirt and hid his face in his chest, his tiny fingers grabbing his brother's shirt. Wirt whispered something reassuring to Greg all while patting his head.

Unsure of what to make of this, Ereyon continued with his story. "I..." He paused once again, biting his lip. "With my brother dead and the jinn princess gone the jinn queen was in a fury. She went after me, but I was much stronger. We fought for hours, taking down her followers. One thing led to another, and I killed the jinn queen."

Wirt's eyes were as wide as saucers. Hearing all this killing was starting to be routine to him.

"With the queen of the jinn gone, the remaining, surviving jinn retreated back to the dark depths of the netherworld," said Ereyon. "I'm the only caelum left. And the reason I left Heaven is because..." The angel looked away, bringing his knees up to his chin. "I...I can't say it."

"Oh, come on tell us," insisted Sara gently. She tried not to sound curious, but it got the best of sometimes. She hoped the others didn't think her unsympathetic to Ereyon's worriment.

"Whatever it is, we'll understand," said Jason. It was the first thing he's spoken. Ereyon glanced up, feeling somewhat convinced, but not completely.

"Yeah," chimed Sara.

Greg pulled away from Wirt and looked at Ereyon. He looked like he wanted to say something, but whatever it was it probably wasn't helpful.

"Tell us what it is," said Wirt. "I promise we won't get mad. You've already told us enough to understand."

Sitting there, with his chin on his knees, Ereyon gazed down at the grass blades, catching every minuscule detail. What they said was encouraging, but he still didn't want to tell them. He'd kept so many things from them. Keeping more secrets couldn't hurt them any further, could it? Perhaps, revealing a few more things would be enough. No, no. He couldn't keep things bottled up anymore. He had to be honest with them.

"Alright," he said as he sat a little straighter. He flapped his wings once, closing them with a crisp snap.

Jason, Sara, Wirt and Greg leaned closer, eyes wide and ears perked.

"You see," the angel said, "I left Heaven because there was something I couldn't do." He bit his lip, maybe this time he would shed tears. But he wasn't going to shed them now. Turning to Wirt, he asked in a choked voice, "Wirt, do you remember that Halloween you told me about?"

The boy stared. "Yeah...," his answer came out hesitant and questionable.

"Well," reiterated Ereyon, "there was one thing that wasn't suppose to happen that night." He choked back a sob, fingers clutching the grass. "You see..." He looked Wirt in the eyes, making sure not to blink. "You and your brother were not suppose to survive."

Wirt's heart sank to the bottom of his stomach. Greg's face paled at the sound of the angel's words.

"What...? Dizziness took hold of Wirt, he struggled to keep his focus.

"Wirt?," murmured Sara softly. She reached out a hand to him, but he just as quickly motioned away. Wirt placed a hand to his forehead. The world felt like it was spinning.

"You...you," he muttered. He tried not to lose cool.

"Wirt," uttered Ereyon.

"You lied."

"I-I-I...I can explain—"

"You lied to me!"

"I didn't want to, but—"

"How could you hide something so important as this?" Wirt stood up this time, ran a hand through his hair. "Why? Why would you keep this secret and not tell me?"

"I knew it would come to this," said the angel, rising to his feet. "Wirt, I couldn't do it. I couldn't take you and your brother so easily. I tried to make them see, but they just won't understand."

"And why did you come here?" Wirt demanded, arms crossed. "To kill me and Greg and reclaim the Throne?"

"That's not what happened," rasped Ereyon. "Because of my refusal to take your souls, I had two options: have my memories rewired or face execution."

A thousand things whirled in Wirt's mind. Anger, despair, sadness, fury, and longing circulated through his whole being. He was still mad at the angel, but he couldn't help shed a trickle of sympathy. He wished he could tear Ereyon's wings with his bare hands. No, he couldn't think that way. He and Greg were not suppose to live that Halloween? Was Ereyon suppose to usher their souls to Heaven? If they hadn't survived, Wirt wouldn't be here and he wouldn't be feeling all these overwhelming emotions. Maybe it would've been best if Ereyon had taken him and his brother to the afterlife. At least, he wouldn't be feeling resentment towards him. But there were so many things he'd regret not doing.

"Please, understand," uttered Ereyon, about to reach out to Wirt, but the boy inched away, eyes shadowed under his bangs. The angel's wings dropped, understanding that he shouldn't push it further.

"Wirt?," said Sara, placing a hand on his shoulder. Behind her, Jason watched with worry and curiosity mixed with fear.

"I'm fine," whispered Wirt hoarsely.

"Look, Wirt," reiterated Ereyon, "I never intended for this happen." He snapped his head away. "At least not when I fell." Facing the group again, he said, "I never intended to meet all of you when I fled and ended up here. But...when Wirt found me, it was the end of the line from there. I wanted to flee, but, well, you can pretty much pick up the story from there."

"But, what if you hadn't landed here?" Greg murmured softly. He stood behind his older brother out of safety.

"Then we wouldn't even be here now, would we?" Ereyon responded.

Wirt stood still as stone. He didn't speak. He flinched when he felt Greg's hand intertwine with his own. Gaping down at him, he couldn't exude this in front of his brother. So many things have been kept hidden, and now he didn't know which way was up.

Ereyon was on the cuspid of speaking when Wirt stopped him.

"I..." He paused. "I need some time, Ereyon." Furrowing his brows, he shut his eyes and with a harried breath he responded, "I can't deal with this right now."

"I understand," said Ereyon rather hesitantly.

"Are you sure?" Jason asked. Wirt responded with a nod.

Sara looked from Wirt to the angel and back. Feeling the need to break the tension, she spoke up.

"How can we help?"

"Iophiel will stop at nothing to capture me," said Ereyon. "He and his followers will chase me down to the ends of the earth to take me back. I can't risk getting you caught in the crossfire."

"But we already are," replied Sara.

"You're right about that," quipped Ereyon. Gazing at the sky, he added, "I don't know how much longer I can stay here. Iophiel can appear at any moment. I'm going to have to leave soon."

"Again?" Jason quoth.

"It's the only way to keep them from figuring out where you all live," said the angel. "This is how I can protect you."

Greg looked like he wanted to say something. Tapping his chin, he looked down at the ground and wondered. Then he looked over at the cabin, focusing on the porch. The rocks he had collected. An idea crept in his mind. He jogged over to the porch steps. Plucking one from the pile, he traipsed back to the group, focusing on the angel.

"Here," he piped, holding out the rock. "For you."

Ereyon took the rock from his tiny hand. "Thank you, Greg," he said.

"When are you going to leave?" Sara inquired.

"I don't know when, but probably by tomorrow morning," replied Ereyon.

"Well, we'll keep a look out for Iophiel and any other angels."

"Right," croaked Jason.

"Right, Wirt?" Sara turned to Wirt, trying to get him to join in.

"Yeah," he answered, "right."

He may have agreed to watch for invading angels, but deep down he secretly wanted Ereyon to get captured. After everything he heard about not being able to survive the Unknown, he was willing to turn his back on the angel and turn the other way.

Only time knew how long it'd be until he regretted ever thinking that.

* * *

**This has got to be the longest chapter I've ever written. I'm telling you, writing this left me drained. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Hi, everyone. ^_^ I'm back with the next chapter. I finished it in one month. Wooh! That's got to be a new record. Aw, man, I tell ya! This chapter was really draining and it was well worth it. :D This is by far my best work in my opinion. I hope you guys can wrap your heads around this chapter.**

**There's going to be a lot of drama in this chapter, as well as the other chapters to come. This chapter also reveals more of Ereyon's relationship with his brothers before they died, and a little more on him and his personality. And as a bit of bonus, there's some mention of certain characters from the show. :3**

* * *

Two weeks passed after meeting with Ereyon in the forest. What they learned left them with their ears swimming and heads spinning. Nothing about Ereyon's status changed what they thought about him. Well, especially, perhaps Wirt. It hit a soft spot when he learned that he and his little brother were not suppose to survive drowning in that river. It was exactly a slap on the face when the person you're suppose to trust most tells you these excruciating news. Wirt didn't know what to believe. Ereyon didn't mean to keep this secret from him, but were his motives true?

Greg kept his promise as planned. Seeing the angel with his red wings out made it convincing got the boy to keep quiet. Even after swing the truth for himself, Greg was still worried about his older brother. Watching him look out the window, seeing the tension deepen whenever he tried to bring up Ereyon. But it seemed like Wirt was going to need more time to even consider forgiving the angel.

Sara and Jason came over to the house, mostly to see Wirt and Greg. When Wirt's parents asked about Ereyon's whereabouts, they would always say the usual: busy with his aunt and uncle, out meeting new people, talking over the phone with his old friends. Wirt had to give himself credit for coming up with new lies to say to his parents. It still stung, but at least they didn't know the truth.

Sometimes, when everyone was asleep, Wirt would get out of bed and look out the window. Even though he did lie to him, Wirt was still worried about Ereyon. After hearing the truth, Wirt wished terrible things to happen to the angel, such as getting captured by the other angels. Now he was willing to go the extra mile to keep Ereyon from getting caught. Ereyon may be a rebel angel, but he was still a friend. Watching the night sky, Wirt hoped to see a glimpse of him. But, there was nothing. No sign of him. Not even a glimpse of his bright red hair.

The Fourth of July was two weeks ago. Wirt wondered if Ereyon managed to see the fireworks that very night. Maybe he did, maybe not. If he did, he probably watched them from the safety of a hiding place. Not the cabin. That was the last place Iophiel thought to check. For all he knew, Ereyon was probably in an unknown backwater, blending in to keep from getting noticed. He was better off there than here anyway.

After thinking about it for what seemed like an appropriate time, Wirt came to the conclusion to apologize to Ereyon. He _did_ hurt the angel, but he also needed to apologize for himself. Not because he knew it was the right thing to do, but because the guilt would lessen once he does. If Ereyon ever did come back... No Ereyon wasn't like that, but then, no one really knows someone.

It was a relief to Wirt that his parents didn't think of inviting Ereyon and his aunt and uncle to dinner. It would be hard to keep up with the lies. Now that he dwelled on that thought, they didn't even ask for Ereyon's address. Despite feeling like they don't feel involved in his friend's life, Wirt was actually glad they didn't bring it up. Even though he wanted to continue filling his parents' heads with those lies.

July was a humid month with unforgivable heat. Wirt looked out his open window in his room, gazing at the blue sky, hoping to see Ereyon. He wondered if Sara and Jason were having better luck spotting him. He also wondered if they were having more fun than him. A dip in the pool sounded nice right about now.

His bedroom door burst open.

"Wirt, hey, Wirt!," chirruped Greg.

Wirt looked over his shoulder. "Yeah, Greg?"

Greg sprinted up to his brother. "Mom and Dad are going out with the Javensens tonight." He sat beside him. "So that just leaves you and me tonight. Wanna help me pick out the board game?"

"Sure." Wirt's voice was laced with despondence.

Greg tilted his head. "You okay?"

"Yeah," said Wirt. "I'm just worried about Ereyon."

"I thought you were mad at him."

"I was," replied Wirt, resting his chin on his knees. "I wanted to be mad at him forever, but...you know time has a way of changing people." He sighed. "I don't want anything bad to happen to him just because I'm mad at him, but I also don't want him to be captured."

"So you _do_ miss him?," concluded Greg, keeping his eyes glued on him.

"Yes." Wirt wasn't even denying that he did.

"Where do you think Ereyon's at?" Greg asked.

"I don't know." Wirt peeked over his shoulder. "Probably somewhere far away from here. Maybe in another country or another state in _this_ country. Or maybe he's in another dimension."

"Like..._there_?"

Wirt stared at his brother kind of quizzically. From the look on his brother's face, it took him a while to figure out he was talking about the Unknown.

"You remember?," uttered Wirt. Greg's face showed more guilt than sadness.

"Uh-huh." Greg nodded. "I didn't want to worry you. I figured you had enough problems to deal with."

"No, Greg, you didn't—" Wirt stopped himself, choosing his words carefully. "You're not burdening me. I remember our time in the Unknown. I just thought you didn't remember."

"I pretended not to," clarified Greg. He scooted closer to Wirt. "Do you think Ereyon does the same when he tries not to think about Heaven?"

"He probably does," replied Wirt. "Right now, Ereyon doesn't know if he has friends, or a home for that matter. You have to understand what he's gone through. He lost all three of his brothers, he's the last of the royal bloodline. He's got the weight of the world on his shoulders."

Greg's face fell. Somehow trying to find the silver lining in this situation wasn't presenting itself.

"But...doesn't he _want_ to be a prince?," asked Greg.

Wirt's brow furrowed. "Well," he said, "let's break it down. Ereyon's the youngest of four brothers. He's been around for a _very_ long time. Even though he was trained to rule Heaven he appeared to be used to his older brothers handling things."

"What makes you say that?" Greg queried, brow raised.

"Well," quoth Wirt, "it's not so much a guess more like an observation. He's ancient but at heart he's pretty much like a teenager. From what I could venture from his background, I'm thinking he stood out. Ereyon's not like all the other angels. He wanted everyone to have a little fun once in awhile. But with raging battles between angels and demons, he's had to be a pinnacle of perfection." Wirt paused. "He couldn't show anyone he's afraid. They would've seen through his facade."

Greg pondered through his brother's explanation.

"Let me explain it this way." Wirt suddenly said. "Ereyon knew he would have to take over the Throne one day, but he never imagined it would happen so suddenly. He wasn't ready. Even with centuries of training, he still didn't feel up for it. So...he left... Hoping to find his place in the world, he's here on this planet, trying to better himself."

"So, he's scared?," squeaked Greg.

"Yes," responded Wirt. "He's scared like all of us."

"But I thought angels were never scared?"

"They are. Just like you and me, he's scared that he may not have anyone to fall back on. He's scared that we won't accept him. Ereyon's scared of not having a home to go back to."

"Is he also scared that you won't forgive him?"

Wirt's face deepened. That really hit a soft spot. He swore he felt his eyes well up, but he wasn't at all prepared to cry in front of his little brother. He needed to be strong for him.

"Yeah..." It took Wirt a great deal of self-motivation. "But...I'm going to forgive him."

"Are you?" Greg peeped.

"Yes," rasped Wirt. "I can't have this hanging over me the rest of my life."

Greg stayed quiet for a moment.

"Mom always says a heart filled with anger has no room for love," he said, breaking the deep silence.

"She's right about that." Wirt chuckled.

"When is Ereyon going to come back?"

"I don't know, Greg," answered Wirt. He stood up, looking out the window. "I've been watching out my window for days and still no sign of him."

"Maybe he turns invisible." Greg suggested.

"It could be. He once turned invisible to fly to the house in broad daylight." He looked at ten white clouds against the bright blue. The only thing he saw was a flock of geese flying in a "V" shape.

"Come on, I'll help you pick out the board game." Wirt said.

"Oh boy!," chirped Greg. He stood up and ran towards the door. "Last one there is a rotten egg!" And Greg ran out of the door at full speed.

Wirt chuckled and shook his head, following his younger brother.

* * *

The two brothers spent the night as planned. Wirt played two board games with him (like Eggs in One Basket and Trials and Tribulations). By seven it was already time to have dinner, which consisted of breaded chicken with collared greens and angel hair pasta. Jeannette also left the boys dessert: chocolate mousse. They downed it down until they were full and couldn't eat another bite.

Wirt allowed Greg to watch his cartoon, _Amy: Girl of the Wonders_. Wirt was roped into watching it with him, which wasn't so bad. The plot line basically circulated around an orphaned girl who lived in the forest and had adventures with her animal friends while being guided by an old wizard.

By the time it was over it was already close to bedtime. Wirt had Greg brush his teeth, changed into his pajamas and sent to bed. Once the boy was tucked in, Wirt drifted off into the kitchen to wash the dishes and clean the rest of the table and sweep the floor.

They said that they would be home around ten. Then again, they would be staying out longer. His parents deserved this night out. It wouldn't hurt if they came home late. After all, Wirt could use the quiet.

Once his chores were finished, Wirt ventured up the stairs to his bedroom. Looking over his surroundings, it was just another night of spending the silence in solitude. Going over things he's done, contemplating his past and envisioning the future. On most nights like these, he'd be thinking about his real father. He wondered what he might be doing, what Sybil might be doing, what James and Aubrey might be doing. Even though he and his father weren't as close as they used to, he still worried about him; and wondered how things might've been if he'd never cheated on his mother in the first place.

Things would be remarkably different if Derek had never been unfaithful. Everything would be how it is. But then Greg wouldn't be born. That was one thing he would never change. Even if Wirt travelled to a different number of parallel universes he would want to keep Greg by his side. It was like Ereyon said: he couldn't change his past, but he could help him write his future. So...what was his future?

A gentle tap was heard at his window. Wirt glanced up and saw Ereyon looking in. He hoped he wasn't seeing things, so he'd better find out. Opening his window, a strong wind blew in, probably caused by Ereyon's wings flapping together. The redheaded angel slipped in, keeping his wings folded. Once he was inside, Wirt closed the window and drew the curtains.

"Ereyon?," said Wirt, trying to keep his composure. "What are you—Why are you—How are you—What—What is going on?"

"I know you didn't expect to see me tonight," replied Ereyon, "but I just needed to see you."

"What about Iophiel?" Wirt asked. "And his followers? What about them?" His became grave. He looked over at his window. "They didn't follow you, did they?"

"No," answered Ereyon. "I had a run-in with them last week." He closed his eyes in resolve. "They found me in Northern Ireland."

_Ireland?_ Wirt quirked a brow. _Man, he's going international._

Ereyon walked over and sat on the edge of Wirt's bed. Wirt sat beside him, ears perked, eyes glued on him.

"I was wandering through a town when I saw Iophiel standing outside of a pub," explained Ereyon. "I took off running down an alleyway, and he and his followers chased after me. Luckily it was night and I was able to take off flying. I led them into the forest. All seven of us fought through the night, causing havoc. It was a long night." He paused, as though trying to repress a memory down. Although in this case he might be doing just that.

"What happened?," asked Wirt, patting the angel's shoulder.

Ereyon was hesitant but wisely continued. "I wasn't looking where I was going and I ended up leading them to a cabin. We all barged in, luckily there was only one person in that cabin. From what I could venture from his disheveled appearance he must've been a degenerate. And him seeing us with our wings. It was as much a shock to him as it was to us." He took a breath. "One of them, Irithiel, slashed the man's throat. Even if I could've stopped them, it wouldn't change the fact that he would've revealed our existence, not to mention causing him further trauma."

"Wow." Wirt's mind was so disgruntled that he couldn't focus on who he should feel sorry for. Deep down, he knew Ereyon's intentions were not planned but he didn't expect to have someone die because of him. Wirt was sure he was going to wake up more confused in the morning.

"After that, I ran again," continued Ereyon, "I was still reeling with the anger over killing a witness. I had to stay focused. Once I was far enough I flew. The sun was close to rising and there was a lot fog rolling in. I lost them back in Ireland. About four days ago, I saw them back in Australia. I was in a crowd, but still I knew they saw me and vice versa. One of the perks of maneuvering through a crowd is that you can blend in and get lost. Plus, I teleported once they'd gotten lost."

"Where were you before you came here?," inquired Wirt.

"Honduras," replied Ereyon. "I hid in a cemetery. And only came out at night." He bit his lip, gazing down at the floor. "I bided my time and came to check on you." He looked into Wirt's eyes. "I'm hoping Iophiel and the others are still off track."

"Let's just hope they do." Wirt uttered. "So those other angels you mentioned? What were their names?"

"You mean Iophiel's soldiers?" Ereyon blinked. Wirt nodded. "Right. Irithiel," uttered Ereyon, "he's one of the royal guards. It'd be best if I tell you what they look like, so you can be prepared."

"Likewise." Wirt said.

"Well," said Ereyon, clearing his throat, "Irithiel has dark muddy brown hair and his skin is almost as pale as Iophiel's. And he has dark brown eyes. There's Merlac." He paused again. "He has blond hair...about up to here." Ereyon pointed to his neck, signaling Merlac's hair lenght. "He's very pale with blue eyes. There's also Veriel, he's pale with white hair up to his shoulders and his eyes are clear grey. Finally there's Eyreequel. His hair is almost white with a pinkish hue and he has striking violet eyes." That was all he said to him and that's when Wirt knew he had everything he needed.

A deep silence thundered between them.

"Ereyon," spoke Wirt, wringing his hands. The angel regarded him curiously. "I...," he repeated. "I'm sorry."

The red-haired angel drooped his wings. His expression softened.

"I'm sorry I got mad at you," quoth Wirt. "I...I wasn't thinking clearly, it just... Finding out something like that just makes you lose your sense of self. You can't imagine how devastating it was."

"It's alright—"

"No, it's _not_ alright," rasped Wirt. "I know you didn't mean to keep that a secret, but still...it's hard."

"I understand," said Ereyon. "And there was no need to apologize."

"But I felt like it was the right thing to do." Wirt insisted. "Besides, I didn't want to carry this burden for the rest of my life."

"That was wise of you."

Wirt scanned his surroundings for another subject to touch upon. Having him here was reassuring but he knew he would take off again.

"Have you thought of a plan for when you face Iophiel?," inquired Wirt.

The redheaded angel blinked, his wings crisply folded against his back.

"I have," answered Ereyon. Something in his voice made Wirt speculated something he wasn't addressing.

"And?" Wirt raised an eyebrow.

"And I'm going to need your help in this," relied the angel. "Yours and your friends."

Wirt's confusion deepened. Sudden realization dawned on him.

"You're worried about enlisting us in your plan," he said. Ereyon nodded. Wirt placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I've done enough damage," said Ereyon. "It's all fallen on my shoulders. I've been too dependent on my brothers to do anything on my own."

"Was your life in Heaven always this complicated?"

"Not always," quipped Ereyon. "The ironic thing is Iophiel and I were close friends."

This grabbed Wirt's attention. He was all ears after that.

"Iophiel is my personal guard. Or at least he was." The angel shrugged. "I want things so badly to return to the way they were, but as you'd expect Iophiel had his guard duties and had to act as such. He grew distant, devoting himself to guarding me and Telynohn...when he was still alive."

"You and your brother must've been very close," commented Wirt.

"Oh yes, we were," answered Ereyon automatically. "Despite all the love I had for my brothers, Telynohn was my favorite. No matter how busy he was he always made time for me. My favorite thing to do was go out flying with him after dark." He smiled as he saw memory after memory appear in his mind. "We would spend a good while chasing each other through the heavens." His smile grew wider.

"You miss him," concluded Wirt.

"I do," said the angel, "very much."

"You'll always remember the good times with your brother," said Wirt. "Not just Telynohn but your other brothers. You might not believe it, but Melkyal and Umuviel loved you, too. No matter how busy they were they always thought of you."

"You're right about that," said Ereyon.

"But," said Wirt, "I think they would've wanted you to show them that you could be a good ruler." He pondered the next statement. "Perhaps you did take things seriously, but you might've been bored most of the time."

Ereyon stared. "You're very perceptive, Wirt," he uttered. "I've got to admire that. Which is exactly why I want to change their minds. They think that a human's life is so trivial when it's far beyond the normal birth and death cycle." He mulled over his next sentence. "I can show them that the world would benefit more from you in it than without."

"That's gonna take a longshot," commented Wirt.

"It's the only advantage I have left," replied Ereyon, standing up. He paced over to the window, slightly opening the curtain. After a minute he drifted over to the desk, eyeing every paper and book laid out.

"So," said Wirt, resting his knees on his chin, "what's the plan?"

"Iophiel and his followers will be here in a few days time," answered the angel. "They'll come prepared. They plan on using a spell on me. One to trap me and take me to Heaven."

"A spell?" Wirt straightened. "Have the tried to use it on you when they—"

"They have," interrupted Ereyon. "And I'm grateful to say I'm glad I escaped every single time. But this time, I want you and Sara and Jason to help me counterattack them and trap them."

"How?" Wirt quoth.

"You'll see when we see them in the forest," responded the angel. He looked over his shoulder at the window, as though he were being spied on. "It takes the power of three to counteract their spell."

"Three against six?," quipped Wirt confusedly. "That seems impossible."

Ereyon chuckled. "Nothing is ever easy, " he replied. He walked over to him and sat next to him, wingtips brushed against the wall. "I used to think nothing was ever easy, nothing is impossible either. If we believe in what truly believe in, anything can happen."

Wirt pondered his words. Nothing seemed to come to his mind, nothing to comment on anyway. But what he said was true. Wirt used to think he would never get over what he went through in the Unknown. And that was something that still nagged at him. And he'd been putting it off till the last minute. He had to know before Ereyon took off again.

"Ereyon," spoke Wirt, "about the Unknown. The people I met there. How are they—"

"They're fine, Wirt." The angel offered a gentle smile. "I knew you'd ask about that sooner or later. And I'm glad to say that everything worked out for the best."

"Do you know what happened to Beatrice?" Wirt was more eager to know that anyone he could think of. "Did she get back home? Did she turn human again?"

"She did," replied the red-winged angel. "And she lived a long and happy life. She married a wealthy merchant. Had two children with him. Grandchildren. Her descendants walk among you in plain sight."

Wirt tilted his head. If that were true, why hadn't he seen any of them? Did they live far or close? No, that was perhaps another question for another day. He needed to focus on the present situation.

"She had it all, huh?" Wirt beam. "I'd like to meet her descendants one day."

"And you will."

Unsure of how to respond, Wirt wrapped an arm around Ereyon in a form of a hug. The redheaded angel returned the gesture, relieved to feel some sort of comfort after days of being on the run.

"Oh, um, Greg had been wondering about you," said Wirt. "Should I wake him and tell him you're here?"

"No, let him sleep," answered Ereyon. "He'll be more thrilled to see me during the day."

Wirt grinned. "I finished _Visions of Path_, if you want to read it."

"I'd love that," replied the red-haired angel.

"Let me just go get it for you." Wirt rose to his feet and walked up to his bookcase, still wondering about tomorrow and the future to come.

* * *

**Okay, that's one chapter down, and a fee more to go. :) I don't know how long this story will be, just that this is probably my next magnum opus since my 9/Coraline crossover. That one was my best, too. **

**Anyways, as usual, get ready for chapter fifteen. ^_^ I guarantee you'll love it as much as this chapter. :]**


	15. Chapter 15

**At last, I got chapter fifteen up. *flops back on bed* Ah man! *sighs* I can't believe it took this long. *spreads arms on bed* But I did it. I did it. The chapter is here and that's all that matters. I hope you guys are ready for the spectacularity that is this.**

**I worked myself to the bone trying to get this chapter finished. It was all worth it.**

* * *

"And that was basically what he told me," said Wirt.

"Wow," muttered Sara. She took a sip of her chocolate milkshake through a straw.

Wirt brought Greg, Sara and Jason to Scoops n Smiles to tell them about last night. He didn't know what the outcome would be, but Sara and Jason seemed to be processing the situation well. Wirt glanced over at Greg, who was busily noshing his turtle sundae. He was surprised he hadn't said anything yet.

"So, Ereyon knows how to do this spell?," asked Sara, quirking a brow.

"He must," replied Wirt. "It's obvious from what I picked up that he's never tried this spell before. But since he's being hunted down by angels...he's got to try anything." He took a sip of his iced frappe.

"And," began Jason nervously, "he needs us...to help him?"

"Pretty much." Wirt stirred the straw in his glass cup.

Greg licked the caramel sauce off a corner of his lips. His statement hooked Wirt in. "Why didn't you tell me Ereyon was at our house last night?"

"I didn't want to wake you," said Wirt, "and frankly, neither did Ereyon."

"Does he still have that rock I gave him?"

"I didn't ask," replied Wirt. "We'll ask him when we go see him in the forest later."

"We are?," squeaked Jason, looking up from his banana split. It was evident from the look on his face that Jason did not want nor desired to venture into the forest.

"Yeah." Wirt answered.

"I thought we would wait awhile before going to...see him." Jason slumped his shoulders.

"We're not wasting any more time," said Wirt.

Jason's face fell.

"Do you think he'll be up for it?," queried Sara.

"I hope so," said Wirt. "There's nothing worse that I can imagine for Ereyon to be in."

"Me neither," retorted Sara.

A moment of infinite silence.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Greg chirped, raising his arms in the air. "Let's go see Ereyon."

"Later, Greg," rasped Wirt, hoping no one would listen in.

"We'll see him soon, okay?," said Sara, assuringly.

"Then I won't have to ask for this sundae to go," declared Greg.

Wirt drank his frappe, thinking about what the spell Ereyon would show them would be like, and if that would stop the angels from hunting him and his friends.

* * *

The four trekked through the forest path. The walk was spend mostly in silence, well, with some happy prattle from Greg, who had a lot to talk about. Greg's talk distracted them from the current topic on Ereyon's situation and the angels hunting him. The thought of those angels watching them on their hike unnerved Wirt to no end. He decided not to think about it and continued watching the trees.

"I wonder if Ereyon lives in a castle," said Greg. "Hey, do you think his castle is made of clouds?"

"Clouds?" Sara uttered.

"Yeah, clouds," repeated Greg.

"Why would it be made of clouds?," queried Jason.

"Don't you think it'd be cool?," retorted Greg.

Wirt, who's been quiet the entire time, decided to shoot in his own two cents.

"Ereyon actually told me about his palace," he quoth. Once everyone was paying attention to him, he continued. "It's actually made of a pearlescent material."

Sara raised an eyebrow.

"It's hard to explain how it was constructed," said Wirt. "But you hear about pearly gates, why shouldn't the palace be made of pearl as well?"

"Still." Jason muttered.

Wirt shrugged.

Greg ran up toward a tree, jumped over its roots and plucked a dandelion from a grass patch. He blew on it, sending the seeds flying.

"Made a wish?," asked Sara.

"Yup," chirped Greg.

"Care to tell us?," inquired Wirt.

"I can't tell you, then it won't come true."

"Can you give us a hint?" Jason offered.

Greg pondered that thought. "It involves all of you," he responded, "and Ereyon."

"That's it?" Wirt raised a brow.

"Uh-huh!"

"You're not going to tell us the rest, are you?"

"Nope." Greg shook his head triumphantly.

"Worth a try." Wirt sauntered on.

"Are we at the cabin yet?" Greg asked anyone who would answer.

"Almost," said Sara.

Wirt glanced down at the forest floor in solemn thought. Greg's cheerful voice wafted into his ear, hoping it would distract him a little more until they saw Ereyon. Somewhere along the lines, the spell Ereyon had in mind might not work. The spell backfiring was the least of his problems, the undercurrent was that it would end up trapping Ereyon along with them.

Could that really happen? It might be possible. He hated when it nagged at him, but Wirt couldn't help but sense something else.

_I hope Ereyon knows what he's doing_, mused Wirt.

"I can see the house!," chirruped Greg, pointing in front of him.

Wirt snapped out of his thoughts and glanced up. Sure enough, he saw the cabin's backdoor several yards away.

_Please be home._ Wirt took off in a sprint.

With the others behind him, he felt confident that they would prevail. The four ran to the front door. To their surprise the front door was already open. Did those angels find Ereyon? Wirt hoped not. Stepping inside, everyone looked inside the expanse of the house, from the decrepit living room to the ruined kitchen.

"Ereyon?," called Wirt, cupping his hands around his mouth.

"Let's check upstairs," peeped Greg, pointing up the staircase.

The four charged up the stairs.

"This way," rasped Wirt, turning to the left; the others followed.

The door to the room where Ereyon hid in was closed. Wirt quickly opened the door and barged in, his fear waning away once he saw the redhead angel standing beside the bed.

"Ereyon!" Wirt's heart thrummed so fast, he thought it was going to burst right out of his chest.

"Hey," said Greg, running up to the angel. He hugged Ereyon's legs. The angel in turn patted the boy's head.

"Did you hear me calling you?," questioned Wirt peevishly. He took in the angel's appearance. He dressed in his old outfit again: midnight blue coat over his overall blue attire. Something told him that Ereyon was ready to face off the coming danger.

"I did," replied Ereyon.

"Are you okay?," he prodded. "Do you—"

"We have no time," said Eryeon. "We have to go. I can sense them growing ever nearer."

"The angels?" Sara muttered.

Without another word to say Ereyon flapped his wings and looked toward the door.

"We have to go."

The angel walked through the open door, leaving his friends wide-eyed and questionable. Wirt looked over at the shoeboxes, shopping bags, and used clothes. Looking at them, he knew that Ereyon's time with the humans was coming to an end. If only he could make it last longer.

He followed the others downstairs, still with the dreadful thought of Iophiel or any of the other angels attacking him, or worse: his brother.

Once outside, Ereyon unfurled his wings, with the intent to fly. Wirt observed him, waiting for him to take off, but the angel didn't budge.

"Ereyon?" He approached him, his suspicions getting the best of him.

The angel bristled at his closeness. "No," he muttered, "no, I'm fine. Don't worry about it." He cleared his throat. "Let's go."

"Where are we going?" Jason asked.

"To where it all happened." Ereyon responded.

"Happened?"

"The crater." Wirt cut in.

Jason's eyes protruded.

* * *

Wirt pushed a branch away, eyes squinting. A twig he stepped on awakened him from his thoughts. The crater was there, and still thriving.

"Where's the crater?," asked Sara, looking both directions.

"It's right here," said Wirt, motioning to the plants in front of him.

Sara took a double take and gazed right at where Wirt pointed. Beside her, Jason threaded away and looked at the butterflies fluttering around the blooming flowers.

"Wow!" Greg eyes were wide with wonder.

"This is the crater?," asked Jason.

Greg ached to jump into the tall grass and sprays of flowers, but felt restraint.

"Can I?," he asked the angel, pointing to the green abundance. Ereyon nodded at him. The little boy went running towards it and dove in. He rolled in the grass, then sat up straight and picked up a flower.

"It's beautiful." Sara cooed.

A ray of sunlight pierced through the canopy, and the way it lit the garden made it look like something out of a fairytale.

"_This_," began Ereyon, "is what happens when an angel crashes onto the planet."

"Wow."

Sara stepped into the greenery, stooping over and smelled an orange flower. A hummingbird swooped over and pecked at a yellow flower. Standing under the sun surrounded by these flowers, she felt like a princess in a storybook.

"I can't believe all this grew from your energy," she said to Ereyon.

"Yes, well," said the angel, "this meadow will continue to exist even after I'm gone."

Wirt's head shot up, eyes alertly wide. His heart stung and he felt it sink to the pit of his stomach. Ereyon's blue eyes bore into Wirt's, sudden regret washing over him.

"So," uttered Sara, "the spell?" She sat down in the tall grass.

"Right." Ereyon joined her, which got the others to gather round him, ears pricked.

"How does it work?" Wirt queried.

The angel folded his wings and traced a circle in the dirt with a stick. Greg got on his hands and knees and crawled towards Ereyon's spot. Wirt titled his head to get a better look at the whatever the angel was drawing. He saw him draw a starlike symbol on the circle. The star was only halfway done, the points didn't close and in the middle it almost resembled an eye.

That was when Ereyon dropped the stick and focused on the symbol.

"This is the Lum star," he said. "It's a very ancient symbol. It can trap any creature, be it angel or demon. Iophiel plans on trapping me in it and then sending me back to Heaven." He took in a breath. "It hurts me to say this, but the spell I have planned will be a reversal of this one." He traced his finger on the star symbol.

"What is it?" Jason asked nervously.

"It's this same symbol," replied Ereyon, "only the purpose of this specific spell is to trap them in the circle."

"For how long?" Sara inquired.

Ereyon found he couldn't work his mouth. He closed his eyes gravelly. "For an eternity."

Sara's eyes widened, Jason raised a hand to his mouth and Wirt could only stare.

"But," quoth Greg, looking up at Ereyon, "but you want them to...stop being mean to you...right?" He was so disgruntled he would've said anything and it could've come out as a compliment.

The red-haired angel patted the boy's head, offering a solemn smile.

"Sometimes people do the wrong things for the right reasons," he explained. "Sometimes we do things for no reason at all. I gave Heaven everything I had without wondering if it really needed it."

Greg gently patted Ereyon's hand. He offered him a smile. The angel returned it, but it only left him feeling sadder than he was before.

"What are you going to do after you trap them?" Wirt questioned. He tried not to sound demanding but it got the best of him.

The red-winged angel hesitated. "I...," he uttered. "I don't know." He felt close to tears. "I can't find any other way of stopping this."

"You probably could've," said Wirt suddenly. Ereyon's head shot up, confused. Shrugging, he turned back to the symbol.

"What I need for all of you is to provide an asset to the circle," he said, "once I etch it into the earth, that is." He rummaged through his pockets. "I've already gotten the supplies we need." He pulled out a gold amulet with a fuchsia gemstone. The next thing was a green orb; it looked like the size of a hand, it fit perfectly in Ereyon's hand. Then he pulled out a diamond, it's colors thrown off in the sun. And the last item was a small piece of gold.

"What are these?" Sara asked, looking at the items placed in the center.

"These are part of the spell," said Ereyon. "Each is powerful in its own way." He picked up the gold nugget. "Gold, that which ensnares anyone who has their hands on it." He glanced over at the diamond. "Diamonds are the hardest material in the world, thus they can never break."

"Oh, I see," said Jason. "Each item has its significant meaning and purpose."

"Right." Ereyon dug into his pocket again, pulling out a small vial with a purplish liquid.

"What's that?" Wirt asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's a phial of steel," replied the angel, observing the purple liquid. "Once poured on the circle it will make the circle impenetrable. No creature can escape nor step in the circle. Well, no angel or demon can escape it." He added to be specific.

"What if someone sees them?," inquired Sara. "What if they try to free them?"

"Well, to answer your question," began Ereyon, "the circle will make them invisible to outsiders." He huffed in a breath. "Even if someone were to pass through they wouldn't be freed." He looked down at the vial, brow furrowed. He appeared to be contemplating his decision for what seemed like the thousandth time. The four could tell that he'd been thinking and rethinking his decisions for hours on end. Of course, it was understandable. Ereyon needed to save himself by doing a necessary evil. It wasn't going to please everyone, that they knew. If only they could change the angels' minds.

"You said that you sensed them getting closer," said Wirt, drawing everyone's attentions. "Are they near right now?"

Ereyon glanced to the sky. His red wings briefly flapped then folded against his back. His blue eyes observed the skies the tree canopy. His ear heard the sound of the wind, a bird testing its wings, the patrolling steps of a predator animal. A minute later he had all his answers.

"I don't feel them getting close," he responded, lowering his head. He faced his friends, as if for the first time. He fiddled with the vial, feeling everyone's apprehensiveness. "I want you each to take an item." He shoved the sea green orb out of the pile for someone to take.

"I'll take that one," declared Sara. She picked up the orb and placed it on her lap.

"I'll take the amulet," said Jason. Ereyon handed him the amulet.

"Can I take the diamond?," queried Greg, pointing at said diamond.

"Of course," said Ereyon.

"Yay! Shiny!" Greg picked up the diamond, watching it sparkle and throw off the light.

Wirt eyed the gold nugget. "I guess I'll take this one," he breathed out. He took the small piece of gold and examined it in his palm. He rubbed his thumb against it. It felt real, though he'd never seen real gold before until now.

"When they arrive," announced Ereyon, "I'm going to try to talk to them, make them understand why—" He stole a glance at Wirt then turned away. "Why I need to—to make them see—"

"It's alright, Ereyon," assured Wirt, "you can say it."

Ereyon sighed heavily. "I don't want to." He brought his knees up to his chin, clutching the vial.

"What do you want us to do with these?" Sara inquired, holding up the green orb.

"For now," answered the angel, "I want you to hold on to these until the right day. I'll tell you each when. We'll come back here, only not to this specific place. We'll relocate."

"Where?" Jason muttered.

"I know a place." Ereyon spoke up. "It's a clearing. Not far from here, actually. We'll go there and set up the circle and when Iophiel and his soldiers arrive we'll set the trap."

Jason looked over at Sara, worriedly. She returned his concern and only shrugged, pointedly ignoring the fire roaring inside her.

Greg approached Ereyon. "Do you still have that rock I gave you?"

"Oh, uh," he sputtered, "yes! Yes, I do." The angel looked inside his right coat pocket. He pulled out the rock the boy had given him only a short while ago. "Do you want it back?"

"No," replied Greg, "keep it. You're going to need it for good luck."

The angel gave him a smile. "Luck is believing you are lucky, Greg. Remember that."

Greg gave him a nod.

"I don't know when they'll be arriving," said Ereyon, glancing at the sky as though being watched, "but it's best to stay one step ahead of them." He looked at his friends, wings unfurled. "Take these artifacts with you," he ordered, "keep them safe. Don't show them to anyone under any circumstances."

"We promise not to show them to anyone," murmured Jason, holding the amulet in his hands, trying to avoid making eye contact with the angel. He could feel his insides rile when he locked eyes with Ereyon.

"Alright," said the angel as stood up, his wings unfolded, showing off their might. "I must go now. I'll come to you when the time is right."

"We'll be waiting," said Sara.

"Yeah!," chirped Greg, throwing his arms up in the air. "We'll wait for you as long as you want." Ereyon regarded the boy's enthusiasm. Seeing him in the highest of spirits made him braver inside.

"Thank you all," said Ereyon. "Thank you all for inviting me into your world and into your lives." He choked back a scoff. "I...I don't know what say to you. You accepted me as I am: an angel. And it doesn't change the fact that we're friends."

"Hey, no sweat," replied Sara, standing up, holding the green sphere. Glancing at it, she said, "I wonder how I'm going to hide this from my mom."

"Hide it in a bag," suggested Jason, "and say it's Chinese food."

Sara chortled. "Yeah, that'll work."

"Well, I'll be off then." The angel spread his red wings, about to take off when Greg tugged on his coat. Ereyon gazed down at him.

"Those...bad angels," he squeaked, "they won't find us...right?"

The red-haired angel stooped down, placing a hand on Greg's shoulder. "I promise you they won't," he crooned. "I wouldn't live with myself if I let anything happen to you or your brother."

Greg looked over at Wirt. The elder brother kneeled beside him and patted his head.

"Nothing's going to happen to you," he reassured, "or to me."

"And if they do, I'll be there to stop them," declared Ereyon.

"It'll be alright, Greg," quipped Sara. "We're all here for you."

Jason smiled and nodded. "Yeah."

"It's the moments together that change us forever," said Ereyon. "If you believe in that, then we'll always be together."

Greg, while clutching the small diamond in his hands, looked in Ereyon's blue eyes. He could see the truth in them. He glanced over at his brother, who also shared Ereyon's firm belief. He always counted on Wirt to guide him in life and he's always been there for him since he could remember. Greg peeked over at Sara and Jason. Sara was smiling warmly at him, while Jason's looked more forced. He nonetheless conclude that he believed in them, and that lifted the tension from his small body. He breathes a sigh.

"Come back soon," said Greg, hugging the angel's leg, which earned him a stroke on the head.

"I promise."

Greg broke the hug and sidled over to Wirt. The four watched in awe as Ereyon took to the sky. His strong wingbeats created gusts of wind the blew the grass, making the flowers away.

"He'll be fine," said Sara, as soon as he was high enough to not be overheard. "I hope."

The four walked away, still with their minds blown. Carrying the artifacts Ereyon gave them, they wondered what the unforeseeable future would bring them. Deep down they hoped the spell would work and Ereyon wouldn't have to die for them. If those angels could be reasoned with, they hoped they would listen to Ereyon. If not him, then maybe one of them could get through to them. It was all they wanted.

Wirt clutched the gold nugget in his palm, closing his fist. He sighed and counted the hours to Ereyon's plan.

* * *

**We're almost to the end, guys! This is it. The moment we've all been waiting for. I can't believe this is really happening. *wipes forehead* This is the longest fanfiction I've written in a long time. **

**Once I finish it it'll all be worth it. **


	16. Chapter 16

**Ah man, I can't believe how long this took. Seriously, I thought I would never finish chapter sixteen. *flops back on bed* I've had a long, good two weeks to work on this chapter.**

**The good thing it's winter break so I'm going to use the time to focus on this fanfic. This story is my Everest. I never imagined I'd ever get this far, but look at me. I'm almost nearly done with it. But not quite. **

* * *

Another week flew by before Ereyon showed up again. It was on a Friday night. Wirt was home that day after spending the afternoon with Greg at the public pool. The angel was frazzled when he arrived at Wirt's window around midnight. He looked as if he'd seen an unspeakable horror. When he was calm enough he asked the angel what happened. Ereyon told him of Iohpiel's followers, almost catching him when he was three states over. Wirt was appalled but kept a bold composure.

Ereyon, not wanting to give himself away in case the prowling angels were nearby, asked Wirt permission to stay in his room for the night. Wirt was more than willing to let him stay.

Morning arrived with a terrible sense of tension in the air. One of them being Ereyon in his house and Wirt's parents not aware of that fact. Another for having to tell Greg later in the day. Ereyon eagerly left Wirt's home before Greg or their parents could check up on him, with the promise to wait for him and their friends in the cemetery.

As soon as Greg woke up Wirt informed him of Ereyon's overnight stay. The little boy was overjoyed to head news about the angel but also offered concern towards Ereyon's well being.

Wirt also told him about the artifacts and that they needed to take them to the forest. Greg deduced that Ereyon was going to try the spell he told them about. If that was the case, then the rogue angels were closer to finding Ereyon and forcing him to rewiring his memories.

That midmorning Wirt prepared to head for the forest. He packed a backpack with a flashlight, a pair of binoculars, a map, a jacket, his old slingshot and a pocket knife. The knife was given to him by his father the last time he visited him. Derek assured him it was just emergencies only. Somewhere in his subconscious Wirt told himself he didn't need no matter how much his father insisted. Holding it in his hand right now brought back that conversation, and he packed it into his bag as he looked forward to the coming night.

The gold nugget that Ereyon gave him remained hidden in his nightstand drawer. It was the only place no one looked in. Greg hid the small diamond in his keepsake box, which is where he hid all his most treasured belongings.

Coming up with a plan for venturing into the forest required wit, tactic and vague reasons. Wirt came up with the idea of telling his parents they were going camping, but later realized they wouldn't believe him seeing how he was only taking a backpack. He then came up with the sleepover idea. It was believable and no one questioned it further. Wirt told his parents he and Greg along with Sara and Jason were spending the night at Ereyon's house. He assured them that Ereyon's aunt and uncle were going to be home for the entire sleepover.

Making up lies was starting to become a drag. If this entrapment spell worked, then his days of lying and making excuses would be coming to an end.

* * *

It was drawing close to sunset when Wirt realized it was almost time to go. He was in his room, gazing out the window, a solemn look on his face. He let out a sigh as he pondered the unforeseeable future to come. He was scared to death to facing Iophiel and his soldiers. And worst of all what if he ended up losing someone in this fight. If not his own life, what about Greg? Or Sara? Or Jason? Or even Ereyon? If it ended up being Ereyon, Wirt would know he went down protecting them. That was something Iophiel would never understand.

His door open, turning around to see his brother greeting him.

"Wirt, hey Wirt!," he cheeped. He walked over to him, a glint of excitement in his eyes.

"Yeah, Greg?" Wirt quirked a brow, a smile spreading across his face.

"Are you excited?"

"Sure am. Though I _am_ a little scared. I mean, those angels sound like bad news." He looked over at the window, paranoid sweeping over him. "If they were human, they'd be the most feared gang ever."

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to mess with them either." Greg put his hands on his hips, foot tapping in thought. "You all set?"

"Yup. You?"

"Almost," replied Greg, "I need to find a space for the diamond Ereyon gave me."

"Why not put it in the side pocket?," suggested Wirt. "That's what I'm doing."

"I know, but what if it falls out?"

"You want me to carry it in my backpack?"

"Would you?"

"I'd do it anyway."

"Okay," piped Greg, "wait here." He dashed out of Wirt's room and to his own room. He came back about five minutes later with the diamond in his small hands. "Here," he said.

"Alright," said Wirt, taking the diamond into his own hand. He walked over to his bed, where his backpack was, and unzipped the side pocket. He dropped the diamond next to the gold nugget. "There. Now it's safe."

"Hey Wirt," chirped Greg.

"Yeah?"

"What do you think Ereyon will do after he traps the other angels?"

At that, Wirt fell silent. He'd been mulling that question over for the past week. Every idea he had ended with the same conclusion: Ereyon staying. After what he's seen, Ereyon's time with the humans was coming to an end. But what if he didn't have to go back to Heaven? What if he could stay here on Earth? What if he gave up his angelhood and became human for good? That way he'd still be with him and Greg and Sara and Jason. But at what cost? What was an angel to you when he was on the cuspid of execution and escaping? Would you give everything up for that angel? Or would you watch him incarcerate the ones who want him dead and trap himself with them? Wirt had to come to terms with that and accept Ereyon's decision. No matter how much it hurt him.

"I've been thinking about that all week," he said to Greg. "And...I've come to a few possibilities." He sat down on the bed, motioning for his brother to join him. Greg climbed on to the bed and sat by his brother's side. Wirt took in a deep breath. "You see, Greg," he began, "Ereyon is still feeling guilt over his actions and doesn't feel ready to return home." He felt a pang of guilt pulsate in his own heart. "He doesn't feel like he deserves to go home for what he did. And so...I don't think he'll be going back to Heaven but he won't be staying here."

"Where would he go if not here?" Greg asked.

Wirt pondered that for a few moments. If he could, he'd spend the whole night contemplating it.

"I don't know," he replied. "Probably on the other side of the planet. Or even on a different planet."

"Like Jupiter?"

"Yeah, probably," said Wirt, playfully. "He probably doesn't need to breathe."

"How long would he be gone?" Greg's worry was worse than Wirt's.

"Angels are immortal," answered Wirt, "he could probably spend a whole century traveling. Trying to find himself. Trying to make things right. But I know this: whatever conclusion he comes to, it's his choice and his alone."

Greg looked down at the floor, convinced but still concerned. Wirt hoped he'd at least lifted some of his brother's spirits, if only it lessened the tension in him as well.

"Who would be in charge of Heaven if not Ereyon?," asked Greg suddenly.

"That's a good question, Greg," said Wirt, "and the truth is, I don't know. There's God. He's the obvious choice. Always has been. But without a caelum to handle the harmony and balance of nature, then...I don't even want to imagine what'll happen."

"That's sad," quoth Greg dejectedly.

"Hey, it's okay," uttered Wirt, wrapping his arm around his little brother. "I'm sure nothing will happen. Like I said, whatever Ereyon chooses to do will come to him. If what his brothers wanted was for him to live his life happily, then that's what Ereyon should do."

"Even if he doesn't want to rule Heaven?"

"Exactly!" Wirt said, intent on keeping Greg uplifted. "And if his brothers wanted him to take over the Throne, he shouldn't have to do what they wanted."

"But they're his brothers and Ereyon's the last one," said Greg.

"And that's alright. He shouldn't have to choose the life that was written for him, but live his life for himself regardless of what others think. Including his brothers."

"I guess so," sighed Greg. He curled into Wirt's side and rested his head on his lap. Wirt stroked Greg's back, hoping it would soothe his troubles.

He even felt his own anxiety melt away.

A knock was heard from downstairs. Wirt listened as someone—either his mother or stepfather—opened the front door and heard a series of voices waft in.

"Hi, Mrs. Stevenson," said a voice. It was Sara.

"Oh, hi, Sara, Jason," said Mrs. Stevenson. "Here to pick up Wirt and Greg?"

"Yeah," answered Jaosn. "Are Wirt and Greg ready?"

"They should be."

Hearing the cue to announce his arrival, Wirt looked at Greg and said, "Psst, Greg, we have to go."

Greg sat up and stretched his arms. He jumped off the bed and walked towards the door. "I'll go get my backpack," he said. Once he was gone, Wirt grabbed his own backpack, strapped it on and walked out the door.

Making his way downstairs, he saw his mother at the door, beside her, Jason and Sara stood patiently.

"Hey," said Wirt. "I'm all set, and Greg will be down soon." He glanced over at the stairs, waiting for his brother's arrival.

"Here I come!," cheeped Greg. The boy thumped down the stairs, his backpack already strapped to his back. "Ready for the slumber party."

"Have a good time," said Mrs. Stevenson, stooping down to give her son a hug. She then gave Wirt a hug. "Now, you two behave and do what Ereyon's aunt and uncle say."

"We will, Mom," said Wirt.

"Yeah," chirped Greg, "Ereyon said his aunt's gonna bake us a cake."

"Come on, guys," said Sara.

"Right behind you," quipped Wirt. "We've got to go, Mom," he said as a reminder.

"Bye, you two," said Mrs. Stevenson, waving her sons off. Wirt and Greg side by side of their friends.

"See you on Monday," added Wirt quickly, waving to his mother.

Mrs. Stevenson gave one final wave before closing the door. Once the four crossed the street, the conversation started.

"That was a nice coverup," complimented Sara, clapping Wirt.

"Yeah," muttered Wirt, sheepishly rubbing his arm while forcing a smile. "It really starts to get easier with practice."

"Well, we've got those artifacts," stated Sara, pulling on the straps of her own backpack. "Now to get this show on the road."

"I hope those angels don't put up a fight," murmured Jason.

"They might," remarked Wirt, holding up a finger. "Which is why I prepared."

"What do you mean?," queried Sara.

"I brought my pocketknife."

Jason had to do a double take. The sound of a pocketknife made him see Wirt as someone he didn't want to reckon with.

"A pocketknife?" Sara raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, my Dad gave it to me the last time I saw him," explained Wirt. "I've never had any use for it...until now." The way Wirt said it held a grim prophecy.

"You're not going to use it, are you?," queried Sara.

"Not unless I have to," replied Wirt. "Besides, I don't think I'll have to use it. Ereyon's all-powerful."

"But even he can't stop everything," mused Jason.

"I know."

The four saw the cemetery gate come into view. Wirt prepared himself, and walked into the cemetery, his friends were probably just as nervous as him. Instead of taking the shortcut that Lyle showed them, they were taking the long way. The friends climbed over the stone wall and jumped onto the train tracks. They hoped there wouldn't be any trains rolling by. Together, they walked along the tracks, below them the river flowed serenely.

"Hey, remember that Halloween?," asked Greg.

_Greg, what are you doing?!_ Wirt's eyes widened like saucers.

"Yeah?" Sara uttered suspiciously.

"Well, when Wirt and I fell in, I dreamt that I was in this magical forest."

_Okay, I'm liking this so far._ The heaviness in Wirt's brow lightened, looking a thousand times less nervous.

"A...forest?" Jason muttered.

"Yeah!" Greg chirped. "And there were these animals dressed in fancy clothes. And there was this talking bluebird. And Wirt was in the dream, too."

"That must've been some dream," commented Sara.

"Yeah, really something," interjected Wirt, trying to keep his nerves under control.

The trek to the forest was spent in silence. The gargantuan trees stood proudly in all their might. Wirt could see the entrance to the forest up ahead. The four friends gingerly stepped out of the train tracks and began the walk down the dusty path. Wirt wondered where Ereyon would be at this moment. He doubted he'd be in the cabin this time. That place was becoming a hotspot for trouble. Wirt was sure the angel was probably at the meadow, where it all began. And where everything would probably end.

Sunlight peeked through the treetops. Birds flew from tree to tree, their songs heard in a gentle melody. Flowers stood out against the monotonous green grass. Insects, mostly butterflies fluttered through the air, stopping here and there for a taste of pollen. A dragonfly flittered above Greg's head. The boy let out a giggle as he tried to reach for it.

"Heheh, they're like little helicopters," he cheeped.

Wirt lightly chuckled.

He and the gang were making progress. They were going on the right path to the crater. Now. Wirt hoped that they would find Ereyon there. Glancing around, he wondered whether the angel mentally instructed the animals to protect him, his brother and their friends. That was one thing that slipped his mind. But trying to test it was like playing with fire. So he decided to keep quiet.

Snapping on a stray twig, Wirt kept his eyes peeled for any sign of Ereyon. His red hair would give him away even in the subtle light of the forest. His wings would also be a giveaway. Or perhaps Ereyon made himself invisible.

"So," said Sara, as to break the silence among them, "do you know what these other angels look like?"

"Ereyon described them to me," retorted Wirt.

"And what did he say?," queried Jason. His voice dripped with anxiety.

"Well," began Wirt, "he told me their names and their descriptions. You'll know once they arrive."

Sara took his word and wisely held her tongue. Despite putting on a strong facade, she was genuinely scared of these angels. All her life she thought of angels as benign creatures of grace and infinite compassion. After meeting Ereyon and getting to know him, she knew that angels were just like her kind: afraid of being vulnerable, of being called out for being imperfect, and for being helpless. Angels are really broken inside.

"Hey I can see the meadow from here," chirped Greg, hand covering his brow.

"Oh yeah, I can see it," remarked Jason.

The four took off in a sprint. The passing trees seemed to blur as they ran. Sara squinted and shielded her brow from the sun. She saw a figure materialize, the silver jewels on his coat shining in the faint sunlight that peeked through the treetops.

"Oh hey!," hollered Sara, pointing. "I think I see Ereyon."

"Yeah there he is!," hooted Wirt.

They made it to the spot and saw the redheaded angel standing in the small garden, the tall sprigs of grass brushing against his coat. Ereyon turned around, regarding his friends as such.

"We're here!," chirruped Greg, throwing his arms into the air. "And we brought the stuff you gave us."

"Good," said the angel.

"Where is this clearing you mentioned?," inquired Jason. The tone in his voice told them that he was frightened of what might come at them.

"It's east of here," replied Ereyon. "It's at least twenty miles from here."

"Oh." Jason's face fell. Either he was unprepared for the hike or the predators that might be lurking in silence.

"Well, if it's that far," said Sara, "we'd better get a move on."

"Agreed," quipped Wirt.

The four friends started the trek with the angel at the head of the small team. Greg trotted ahead and walked beside Ereyon.

"Hey, Ereyon."

"Yes?" The angel snapped his head to the small boy.

"I have a question."

Wirt was picking up something suspicious from Greg's innocent, yet doubtful curiosity. He kept a wary on him as he continued listening.

"Is the spell really going to last forever?"

It was a straightforward question with an easy answer, but the angel could tell that Greg held some degree of concern over the rogue angels.

"It'll keep them contained," replied Ereyon, "but I can't guarantee that this spell is permanent."

"So," Greg's voice faltered, "they might...escape?"

Ereyon breathed a sigh of grief. "It's an inconvenient truth, but if or when they escape, I'm hoping it'll be centuries into the future. You won't be around to witness it."

Greg's face fell. Then he popped another question.

"I've got another question."

"All right, what is it?"

"Isn't there another way to settle things?"

The angel paused before responding. "I don't see any other way of escaping my execution."

"Couldn't you at least try?"

Ereyon didn't respond.

"You know, that wouldn't be such a bad idea," spoke Jason.

Sara snapped her head to him, arching a brow. Wirt's was just as curious as Sara's.

"Uh, I mean," uttered Jason, trying not to mess up. "You've been in this planet for a while. Surely you must have something to show for?"

"I could show them everything in the world, but they still wouldn't be convinced," responded Ereyon. "I don't find any other alternatives aside from this one."

Jason frowned. Wirt patted him on the shoulder. "It was a good try," he said. Jason shrugged.

"You know, they might be right," uttered Sara, taking Ereyon's right, glancing up at the redheaded angel. "All I'm saying is you can convince them to lift the sentence, and you can get a less harsh punishment."

Ereyon's wings flapped crisply. He turned away, a solemn look on his face. Something inside him made him consider their advice. Ereyon was at a crossroads; everything was piling on top of him. If his brothers could see him now, they'd probably be ashamed of him.

"Whatever you decide," said Sara, "will be your decision and yours only."

The angel gazed down at the grassy trail. All these months spent in the human world, he's come to appreciate humans and feel like one of them. Having these four as his friends made him feel fortunate. He didn't want anything to happen to them, and he won't let it. Ereyon was the last caelum angel in the world. If something happened to him, the balance of the world would collapse and slip into catastrophe. If only he could find another to take his place. None of the other angels had the powers of a caelum to balance the harmony of worlds.

Whatever happens tonight was on Ereyon's head.

* * *

The field was expansive, open and serene. The wind blew the grass, no other sound but the calm wind. The day was coming close to an end. The sky was a dreary blue with tints of a faint dark fuchsia and a paler tone of purple. The sun was making its descent, bidding the world a farewell before falling into its slumber.

Wirt turned around. The sun was seen at the horizon. An enormous ball of fire keeping the sky lit for just a while longer. With the light cutting through the trees, it cast long, somber shadows across the green field. This prompted Wirt to sketch it, if he thought it were the appropriate time. Looking around, seeing his friends settle down and unpack their belongings, he figured they wouldn't take notice. He opened his backpack, pulled out his sketchbook, which he packed at the last minute.

Sitting on the grass, he took out a pencil, and opened the sketchbook to the next available page. With a soulful sigh, he began sketching.

Sara, who carefully placed her backpack on the ground, turned over to Wirt with curious eyes, craning her neck for a better view. She sidled over to him, careful not startle him. Behind her, Jason took notice and joined her, equally as curious.

"Hey, what are you looking at?," asked Greg, walking up to the older kids. He craned his neck, eyes alight when he saw his brother's sketch. "Whoa."

Ereyon ambled up to his friends, wonder and fear coursing through him. He crouched down next to Wirt, remembering to fold his wings. He peeked at Wirt's sketch, overtaken by amazement.

By the time Wirt finished, Ereyon couldn't pull his eyes away from the sketch.

"That's so cool," commented Greg, pointing.

"Yeah," squeaked Jason.

"Thanks," said Wirt. "Just wait until I color it." He closed his sketchbook, slid the pencil into the spiral spine, and slipped it back safely into his backpack.

"I like it," spoke Ereyon. He stood up, wings opened proudly.

Wirt zipped his backpack after getting out his jacket. Donning it on, he looked around the field. Several yards off there was another treeline. This field was so big, you could fit a trailer or an RV in the clearing. Remembering what needed to be done, Wirt opened the side pocket on his backpack and pulled out the diamond and the gold nugget.

"I was almost forgetting," he said, approaching Ereyon with an outstretched hand. "You need these to do the spell."

"Thank you," said Ereyon. The angel took the artifacts from him.

"And this," spoke Sara, plucking out the green orb from her bag.

"Don't forget this," muttered Jason. In his hand was the amulet he was given not so long ago.

Ereyon paused before speaking. "We'll need to start right away," he explained. Turning around, he paced over some few feet away. "I'll draw the circle here." He glanced around for something to etch the circle in.

"Use this," said Greg, dragging a large branch. The angel grabbed the branch, noting it was almost as tall as him. He poked it at the loose dirt; the ground was soft enough to draw the circle. The red-winged angel dragged the branch along the ground, creating a line.

Ereyon drew the circle three times the size of the small doodle he showed them days ago. The circle took up half of the clearing. The tall grass hid the etched circle, making it hard to tell where it was, or if it even was there.

"I will need the items," said Ereyon.

"Here," said Jason, gratefully handing the angel the amulet.

Ereyon hovered over the ground, flapping his wings lightly and slowly.

"Put the amulet over there," he said, pointing to the far right side of the symbol. Jason did as he was told and gently dropped the amulet down.

"Where should the orb be placed?," asked Sara.

"Right there," said Ereyon. He motioned over to the lower left side of the circle. Sara placed the sphere on the ground.

Once the items were put in place, everyone backed away to give the angel room. Ereyon's feet touched the forest floor, beating his wings before closing them.

"What now?," inquired Greg.

"When Iophiel and his army arrive," replied Ereyon, "once I shove them into the circle, I'll pour the phial onto the circle, trapping them."

It didn't sound too when he described them, but it was still a selfish act to save oneself.

"What about you?," asked Greg.

The angel paused before speaking. "This is what I was dreading," he retorted, head hanging down, his eyes despondent.

"What?" Sara's voice held fear as her eyes slightly widened.

"I," began Ereyon, turning away, crossing his arms.

Jason craned his neck to catch a peek of Ereyon's face. The red wings unfurled themselves, letting the group know not to approach.

As the sky darkened, the five waited in silence. Ereyon spent his time waiting for Iophiel and his followers to arrive. He reminded his friends to hide when they do. He instructed them to distracted the rogue angels long enough to push them into the Lum star. After which, Ereyon will pour the phial onto the circle and trap them forever. And yet Ereyon didn't mention what he planned on doing after. No one dared ask for fear of the angel doing something foolish in the process.

Wirt opened his backpack and took out the flashlight. Flicking it on, he shined it at the neighboring treeline. A chill traveled up his spine. He let out a shiver. For that one moment, he was sure Iohpiel and his army were hiding there. He shook his head and turned around.

Greg trotted up to him.

"Wirt, hey Wirt," he cheeped.

"Yeah, Greg?," said Wirt, shining the flashlight on him. Greg shielded his eyes.

"Do you get the feeling Ereyon's keeping something secret from us?"

Wirt quirked a brow. He turned the flashlight off and shoved it into his jacket pocket. He didn't have much time to consider the thought of actually asking himself that exact question.

"Well, yeah," he said. He stole a glance at the red-haired angel. Ereyon was standing a few yards off, his back to them. He hoped he didn't overhear them. "I've been wondering the same thing, but we can't ask him what it is."

"Why not?"

It was an excruciatingly hard question to answer. But luckily, Wirt knew how to say it.

"It's like this," said Wirt, stooping before him, "he doesn't want to tell us what he's going to do because he'll think we'll try to stop him."

"But wouldn't we try to?," reiterated Greg.

"It's the obvious thing we'd do, Greg," answered Wirt. "I still think Ereyon won't want to change his mind about his plan."

Greg hung his head, a frown forming on his face. Wirt placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. The younger boy gazed up at him.

"But," said Greg, "Ereyon knows he can change his mind."

"I know, Greg—"

"And he doesn't have to do this if he doesn't want to."

"I-I know, Greg, but—"

"I wish we could try something."

A rustling sound distracted the brothers from their conversation. Wirt grabbed his flashlight and turned it on. Were those the angels this time?

"They're coming," said Ereyon, wings unfurled. "Go, hide—NOW!"

The four grabbed their backpacks and fled for the safety of the treeline. They had to be well-hidden to not get spotted. Thank goodness for the oversized bushes. Wirt peeked through the bushes, waiting for the moment.

"Do you see them?," whispered Greg, creeping closer to his brother. "Is it the angels?"

"Shhh."

The four watched in silence. Ereyon stood, wings unfurled, as thought ready to fight. His red wings and hair stood out in the dark, his alabaster skin giving off this glow despite the muted moonlight.

Several minutes, these figures appeared. Wirt counted them. There were about five of them. Humanlike in appearance, but the most obvious giveaway were the wings.

Angels.

* * *

**Ooh, we're at the marking point. Chapter seventeen is going to opened up where this chapter left off. oh man, I cant believe we're this far. It's so intense. And I wonder what Ereyon's hiding. **

**Don't forget, chapter seventeen is underway. Don't go away, I guarantee you'll love the next chapter. And I don't mean to get gossipy, but I feel like tensions between Wirt and Ereyon rising high. I hope they'll get explained in the next chapter. ^_^ **

**Thank you to everyone who joined me in the long run! :D **


	17. Chapter 17

**And it's here! :D I never thought I'd be presenting chapter seventeen so soon. XD *jumps up and down* Writing this took a lot of hard work, self-motivation and courage. The reason I was dreading writing this chapter is because we're getting closer to the end. And that just scares me more. **

**Chapter seventeen is here and that's all you need to focus on. Doing this chapter left me with my head spinning. **

**As always, read and review. ^_^ **

* * *

The angels were as Ereyon described them. Their perfection oozed from every part of them. Their faces, inhumanly beautiful, like sculpted statues; devoid of any emotion whatsoever. But there was a hardness in those angels that spoke of another angel's influence. Their presence gave off a sense of elegance and grace, making anyone who saw them want to be with them more. And that's what Wirt couldn't hold down.

He counted them. There were indeed five angels. And he recognized them from what Ereyon described.

"That's Iophiel," whispered Wirt, pointing the the chestnut-haired angel with the matching wings.

"I remember him," replied Sara just as quietly.

"Who are the others?," asked Jason.

Wirt searched through the crowd. He spotted an angel with blond hair and blue eyes.

"That's Merlac," he rasped, pointing at said angel. "The one with blond hair and blue eyes."

"Even his wings are blond." Sara noted, brow arched.

"There's Veriel." Wirt pointed to the angel with white hair and grey eyes. "That one with white hair and wings."

"Are they made of snow?," peeped Greg, craning his neck.

"That's Irithiel," said Wirt, eyes locked on the brown-haired angel. His friends followed his direction and took note of the cold, flawless angel. "And that one's got to be Eyreequel." He squinted. "I can tell by the 'striking violet eyes.'"

"Ereyon must've been very detailed," commented Sara.

"He was but not too longwinded," retorted Wirt.

"What are they doing?" Jason inquired. "Are they talking?"

"I wish I could hear what they were saying," said Sara.

The angels looked at Ereyon with cold disdain, their fury like a frozen sun. The redheaded angel stood, stoic, unfeeling. His bravery was forced than willed. Ereyon appeared as though he was ready to fly away, but from what Wirt and his friends were seeing, he was not fleeing. Not this time.

"Ereyon," spoke Iophiel. His voice deep and commanding. The red-haired angel stood, unflinching.

"Iophiel," uttered Ereyon. His red wings were folded against his back, his feathers giving off a metallic shimmer in the moonlight.

"It's been a long time, Ereyon," said Iophiel. The redheaded didn't even bother answering. "It's time." The words escaped Iophiel's lips with a hardness that would make even Rasputin shiver.

"I see no means of getting out of this," response Ereyon gravelly. He stole a quick glance at the treeline, towards his friends who were hiding...and observing.

"Enough time has been wasted," rasped Iophiel, "we will continue with your punishment as planned." He looked peered his shoulder. "Irithiel," he said to the brown-haired angel.

Irithiel stepped forward. He snapped his fingers, a pair of silver cuffs materialized.

Over in this treeline, Wirt watched with burning interest, desperate to go out there and stop them. He took his backpack off and unzipped it. He rummaged through it and pulled out his slingshot.

"Find me something to throw at," he said to anyone who would answer.

Jason searched the ground for something to throw. He felt the smooth surface of a stone. Picking it up, he handed it to Wirt.

"Will this work?"

Wirt looked over at Jason, glancing at the stone.

"Yeah, that'll work." He plucked the stone from his hand and put it into his slingshot.

"Aim high, aim high," whispered Greg, nails digging into his brother's side.

Wirt straightened and raised the slingshot. Closing one eye, he pulled back the pocket, calculated the angle and released. The stone went flying for the crowd. It hit the angel with blond hair. The angel flinched, wings flapping.

"Merlac?," spoke the violet-eyed angel.

"Something hit me," replied Merlac, swiveling around, wings unfurled. "I believe it came from over there." He turned to the treeline on his left, pointing a pale finger.

"Get down!," whispered Wirt, ducking his head.

"Do you think they saw us?" Greg quoth, opening one eye.

"I hope not," croaked Jason.

"Sshh, listen!," hissed Sara.

The four listened with rapt attention.

"This better not to be another one of your tricks, Ereyon," rasped Iophiel. Ereyon did not answer, for they would know about his friends hiding behind the abundance of trees.

"Enough, we are wasting time," barked Veriel. He turned to Irithiel and told him, "Cuff him."

Irithiel stepped forward with the cuffs ready, when another interruption broke through the tension.

A pebble bounced off Iophiel's head. The chestnut-haired angel snapped his head to the left, amber eyes boring into the trees.

"Something's out there," he said. His voice held an ire calm. He strolled towards the trees.

"He's coming!," squealed Jason, hands over his head.

"Don't worry," reassured Wirt, digging through his backpack.

"What are you doing?" Sara inquired.

Wirt took out his pocketknife. Pulling out the blade, the light glinted off the knife, like a reflection.

"I think he's getting closer," whispered Greg. Wirt waited, hand gripping the knife.

Sara craned her neck. Iophiel was now close enough. She hoped he hadn't spotted her.

Wirt counted the seconds. Relished every breath. And he sprung up. Wirt was even more surprised than the angel.

"Human!," hooted Iophiel. Behind him, his soldiers turned around, wings unfolded, alert.

"Wirt!," muttered Sara, grabbing at her hand.

Wirt grabbed his backpack and hit Iophiel in the face with it. He stumbled and lost his balance. Wirt dashed past him.

"Wirt!," shouted Greg. He picked up his backpack and followed him.

"Greg, don't!," hollered Sara, standing up.

Iophiel regained his senses, glaring at Sara, but turned his attention to Wirt and Greg. He flapped his wings, not to fly, but as a reflex, and ran after the brothers.

"Capture the remaining humans!," ordered Iophiel, pointing at the treeline. And the angels obeyed.

"Come on, Jason," said Sara. Grabbing her bag, she took off running into the forest.

"Why do these things always happen to me?," he uttered. He followed Sara.

Ereyon, who had stayed put, decided to intervene. He hovered above the clearing, watching Iophiel's followers chase Sara and Jason into the forest. He turned over to Wirt and his brother. He glided towards them, focused on Iohpiel.

When he was close, Ereyon tackled the chestnut-haired angel. Wirt and Greg stopped running, turning around to watch.

"I'll hold him off!," shouted Ereyon. "You go help your friends!"

Wirt wanted to help but wisely obeyed. He and Greg ran to the treeline, hoping for the best.

Iophiel felt around the ground, and wrapped his hand around a branch. He hit Ereyon square in the face, knocking the red-winged angel back. Iophiel used the opportunity to cock back and scramble out of his hold. He swung the branch again, striking Ereyon in the head.

"Mucking in the ground with humans," hissed Iophiel disdainfully. "How typical of a rebel like you."

"Let me show you that the world needs them," pleaded Ereyon, "killing them won't solve anything, Iophiel!"

"Wrong." Iophiel's expression hardened. "Because they're alive, everything's been shifted. The river of time has been set down another course." From the palm of his hand, something poked out. It was a blade, which was half an inch at first, but then grew another five inches. It eventually grew to reach twenty inches. A silver polearm with a sharp tip gripped in Iophiel's hand. Ereyon's eyes widened.

"And you will not stop me," rasped Iophiel. And Ereyon believed him.

Iophiel took off into the sky. Ereyon grabbed his foot in one motion, throwing him across the field with intense force. In a split second, Iophiel turned over and lunged back, polearm pointed towards Ereyon. The redheaded angel summoned a blue shield to counter Iophiel's blow. Iohpiel hoisted his polearm and dove, only to have it kicked out of his hands by the red-winged angel.

Wirt stopped at the edge of the treeline, chest heaving up and down with every breath. He listened for his friends' voice, hoping they would outrun the angels.

"Jason!," went Sara.

"I'm right behind you!," called Jason.

Wirt and Greg waited for them. In a few seconds he saw them running towards them with the angels flying behind them.

"They're right behind us," panted Jason, jerking his thumb to the rogue angels.

Once he and Sara were out of harm's way, Wirt calculate the angle, and when they were close enough, he stabbed one of the angels—the one with the violet eyes— near his clavicle. He pulled the knife out, silver blood pouring out like a sprinkler.

_Silver blood?_ Wirt looked at the blade. _Of course, they're angels._

"Wirt!," hooted Sara, eyes as wide as the moon. Jason bit his lip.

Wirt didn't have time to process the situation, for the blond angel knocked him off his feet. The boy shielded his face, the knife pointed at the angel.

"Get off my brother!," shouted Greg.

"Greg, no!," screeched Sara.

Wirt peeked over his chest and managed to see a glance of his brother wielding a heavy-looking branch and struck the angel with it. The angel didn't react aside from the usual flinch and turned around. He raised his hand, and with an invisible blow he sent Greg streaking through the field like an arrow.

"Greg!," shouted Wirt, holding out an arm.

Merlac punched Wirt in the face. Pain shot through him, like needles cutting away at his cheek. Once the first second passed, Wirt swished the knife, slicing across the neck. A rivulet of silver blood streamed in a thin line. Wirt pushed him off, sweat dampening his chest, forehead and neck. Merlac stumbled back, losing his balance. Without the time to consider it, Wirt ignored him and went to aid his brother.

"Greg, Greg!," he called.

He heard a groan. Wirt saw Greg laying face down on the grass. He stooped down and shook him gently.

"Greg?," he said. "Are you okay?" He heard a moan from him, then the boy got on his knees.

"Yeah," replied Greg, hand massaging the back of his head.

"Wirt, look out!," hollered Sara.

Wirt spun around, mouth dropped at the sight of Eryeequel about to grab him when Sara came and knocked him off. The brothers watched Sara struggle with the angel who in turned tried to throw her off. But Sara was much faster and she punched him in the mouth. Silver blood spilled out. Wirt even swore he saw a white tooth fly off.

"Whoa." Wirt felt his heart sink low to his stomach. "Those wrestling classes paid off."

"I wish I brought my bat," bemoaned Greg.

"I brought my compass," uttered Jason. In his hand was his compass, the same one Wirt used in math.

"Jason, behind you!," shouted Greg, pointing.

Jason turned around, striking Irithriel in the chest. Though he only ripped his top, Jason was high on adrenaline, sweat dampening his whole body. And for that second, he didn't feel scared.

"We're not out of the woods yet." Wirt stood up and dove, knife hoisted over his head. The knife went through Irithiel's arm, silver blood dripping.

"Jason, on your left!," chirped Greg.

"Yikes!" Jason dodged Veriel's kick and stabbed his leg with the compass. Veriel shouted in pain, falling back in the process.

Sara let out a groan. "This one's out cold," she grunted. "Let's drag him to the circle."

Jason grabbed Eryeequel's left leg, and together, he and Sara made their way to the spot Ereyon drew the symbol. The angel's wings left behind a small trail of blush-colored feathers. Greg knelt down and picked one up, running his finger through the barbs.

"Come on," said Wirt as he ran past him. Greg shoved the feather in his pocket and followed his older brother.

"Ugh, what does he _eat_?," groused Sara.

"We're almost there," remarked Jason, panting.

The two stopped. Jason dropped the angel's leg and went over to his head. He grabbed his arms, and with Sara's help, they lifted him off the ground and dropped him into the etched circle. The moment the angel was dropped the moment a green light emanated.

"Whoa, what's that?," asked Wirt.

The green light only filled half of the circle. Is this how it worked? Lights appeared and they sealed the angel? But did the rest of the circle light up if all the angels were trapped in it? They could only find out.

A cry from behind startled them. Turning around, the group saw it was Veriel, his wounds all healed. Of course, he was an angel, they healed their wounds quickly. Sara kicked him in the stomach; Veriel fell to his knees. Wirt hit him in the head with his backpack, wishing with all his damnedest that he knocked him out. Veriel flapped his wings and lunged at Wirt, both falling to the ground.

"Ack!," yelped Jason, diving away from Merlac's kick. He used his compass and stuck it in the angel's shoulder.

Wirt manage to shove Veriel off of him and stabbed him in the stomach.

"Quick, push him into the circle!," barked Sara.

Jason did the honors and kicked him, the angel fell into the circle along with Eryeequel. When Veriel fell in another light shone. This one was an orange color. This arc of light was only halfway complete. They just needed the rest of the angels incarcerated.

"Wirt," said Greg, holding out a rock for him. Wirt took the rock and put it in the slot. Pulling it back, he scanned the area for an angel to pummel. Irithiel suddenly appeared, his hands emanated silver light. Racing with adrenaline, Wirt sent the rock flying for him. It ricocheted off his face, taking him off guard, falling to the ground. He grabbed at his face, at the spot where Wirt struck him.

"I'll distract that one!," hooted Sara, her eyes focused on Merlac. "Hey, over here!" She turned heel and ran to the right. Merlac flew after her.

Jason sprinted over to Irithiel and stabbed him in the shoulder with his compass. Irithiel grabbed his leg and tripped him. Shaking back the pain, the angel punched him with his left hand. Jason was about to stab him again when Irithiel grabbed his wrist. It was a tug-o-war between the two, on who would be stabbing who. The angel twisted Jason's wrist, intent on stabbing the boy. A knife went through Irithiel's back. The angel grunted, glancing over his shoulder, glaring daggers at Wirt.

"Get off my friend!," he rasped. Pulling out the knife, he kicked Irithiel, earning another groan from him. Jason took the opportunity to stab his cheek.

"Bad angel!," yelled Greg, hoisting a rock. He bashed Irithiel in the head with it.

"C'mon, let's get him in the circle before he comes to," instructed Wirt.

He and Jason—Wirt grabbed the ankles, and Jason held the wrists—dragged him to the circle to join his brethren. Once he was in the circle, a white light ignited. It was almost complete.

"What now?," queried Jason.

Wirt looked to the brawling angels. Apparently, Iophiel ignored his fight with Ereyon and went to assist Merlac in capturing Sara.

"Should we help?," suggested Jason.

"I," began Wirt, "she looks she's got it under control, but I think I should go." He looked over at Jason. "You make sure they don't get away."

"Right."

"We'll watch them like hawks, sir!," cheeped Greg, giving a salute.

With his slingshot and his knife, Wirt dashed off to help Sara. Iophiel caught sight of him, and went flying for him like an eagle. Wirt ducked, turned over and stabbed the angel's leg.

"Agh!" Iohphiel's wings fluttered like a butterfly's as he dropped to the ground. The knife being pulled just sent more pain shooting up to him. Iophiel grabbed at his leg.

"Wirt," huffed Sara. She had a hand to her chest as she breathed in and out.

A scream behind her alerted him of Merlac's presence. Sara was about to strike a blow when Ereyon tackled him. The girl watched as the two angels struggled with one another. Merlac managed to punch Ereyon's face before the other levitated Iophiel's polearm into his hand. The redheaded angel thrusted the polearm into the blond angel's stomach. Silver blood poured out in a stream. It would take seconds before Merlac healed himself. To save him the trouble, Ereyon levitated him out of the ground and sent hi toward the circle where he landed with the other angels. A purplish light glowed seconds later.

"It's just you and me now," said Iophiel with a grunt.

"Looks like it is," uttered Ereyon, wings opened.

Wirt ran towards Iophiel, his pocketknife ready, when the angel raised a hand and an invisible blow sent the boy off his feet and pushed him into the dark. Ereyon offered his friend a worried look.

"Enough of this foolishness," rasped Iophiel. "It's time to do what I came here for."

"Please, don't do this," begged Ereyon. "You don't know what this might do to the natural order."

"The natural order was disrupted the moment you refused to take them," reiterated Iophiel. "I'm only finishing what was started."

In the distance, Wirt sat up, head spinning. He grabbed at his head. He felt at the ground with his other hand. His hand wrapped around his slingshot. Now all he needed was to find his pocketknife. Just then, footfalls approached. He knew they were his friends.

"Wirt," spoke Sara.

"You all right?," asked Jason.

Wirt turned around, not caring or wondering why Jason left his post at the circle. He looked past them. Greg was still keeping watch of the unconscious angels. He wondered if they were really unconscious or if the circle was draining them of their powers. He would have time to think about it, as they had one more angel to throw in. Wirt stood up.

The three turned to the conversing angels. Neither of them knew what the were taking about. Catching Iophiel off guard was likely to work, as he, and the others, would've thrown them off. Tired and with no other thread to hold on to, the trio resorted to listening.

"You're wrong," said Ereyon. "You don't know what change they'll bring to the world."

"I know that humans are destructive, murderous and merciless," spat Iophiel. "And you, consorting with them."

"I have lived among them long enough to know that they're not as bad as you think." Ereyon's wings drooped. He grasped at any shred of dignity he had left. "They're not how you view them! They love one another. They care for each other. Even when there is darkness in the world, humans still fight to find the light. Something that _we_ can never strive for."

Iophiel glared at the red-haired angel, lips unsmiling. A few yards off, Wirt and his friends stood, listening. Wirt, with his slingshot in hand, he looked down at it and at the angels before coming to the conclusion that he was unfocused to even make the shot. Jason gazed at the slingshot and had an idea.

"Let me take a shot at em," he said. Wirt handed him the slingshot and Jason crouched down, feeling at the grass for a big-enough rock. When he found one, he stood up straight, pulled back the slot and fired. The rock hit Iophiel's face.

The angel turned to them.

"Wirt!," called Ereyon, wings flared.

The boy didn't have the time to think it over when Iophiel took to the sky. The angel dove and swooped down. The three ducked, and although he was crouched real low, Wirt swore he felt his wingtips brush against him.

"Hey!," yelled Sara, rising to her feet. She was holding the same polearm Iophiel summoned. Sara held the polearm to her shoulder, calculated the angle and threw it. It landed in the angel's shoulder. It was a surprise that Sara had never tried javelin throwing before, but with the adrenaline and fear pumping in her, she had beginner's luck.

Iophiel pulled out the polearm, silver blood streaming from the wound. He didn't have time to grab his bearings because Wirt pounced on him.

"Leave us alone!," he barked at him. He thrusted the knife into his clavicle. The angel didn't even do so much as flinch.

Iophiel shove him off and sent gold sparks flying at him. The sparks only stung when they came in contact with his skin. Wirt hissed back pain, grabbing at his arm. He splayed his fingers, seeing what looked like a cut made from needles.

"You okay?," asked Sara, sliding on the ground. She looked at his cut, biting her lip. Wirt's arm pulsed, the right side of his body from the neck up pulsing.

Iophiel, who had pulled the knife out, got on his feet. His chestnut wings gave a single flap, creating a strong wind.

"Don't you see how they are?!," spat Iophiel. He pointed at Wirt. "He is no better than the rest of humanity."

"But I've told you that the world needs him and his brother alive," reiterated Ereyon.

"You're not going to stop me, Ereyon. With or without your involvement a new age has to be ushered. Your brothers were more competent than you. You were alway feeble-minded. Which is why you must be destroy along with them."

Ereyon's patience had been worn thin, but he was quick to get it under control.

"I will not stop fighting," he said. He glanced over at the circle. "And we will have all the time to think about it..."

Iophiel lunged at him, but a red sphere appeared around Ereyon, shielding him from his opponent's blow. The sphere grew and exploded, filling the field with a redness brighter than a million suns.

Wirt and his friend's shielded themselves from the explosion. When the light dimmed, Wirt scanned the clearing. He spotted his brother crouched down, arms shielded over his head. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Iophiel on the ground. Whatever it was, it brought Iophiel down to his weakest. Perhaps this was the end of it.

Greg sprinted towards them. "Is he dead?," he asked.

"No," answered Ereyon. Timed to his words, Iophiel sat up, wings opening, but not quite ready to fly.

Jason got another rock ready for when Iophiel attacked, but Ereyon held a hand in peace.

"He won't be putting up a fight."

The four watched him approach Iophiel. Though neither could help but feel like he was revved up for another trick.

Ereyon grabbed Iophiel's arm, forcing him to stand up. Ereyon's hold was strong on the chestnut-haired angel. Iophiel walked reluctantly, his destination: the circle. There was no way out of this. He was going to join his soldiers and they would be trapped for who knows how long. Iophiel could feel his end creeping closer.

"Ereyon," spoke Sara, following him. Behind her, Jason, Wirt and Greg trailed along.

The red-winged angel dumped Iophiel onto the ground along with his soldiers. A silver light emanated, completing the circle. The artifacts; the diamond, the gold nugget, the amulet, and the sphere began glowing themselves. Wirt didn't know what it meant, but he had a hunch it was part of the sealing of the spell. Iophiel, seeing what was about transpire, grabbed at any last shred of leverage he had left.

"You know what'll happen once this circle is sealed," he rasped, his throat scratched at the last sentence.

Ereyon dug into his pocket and pulled out the phial. Iophiel's eyes widened at the sight of it. He was trapped and he was going nowhere. There was no way to get out.

"I know," said Ereyon. "That is why I must do this." His voice held a bit of grievance. "I have made mistakes beyond mistakes. Mistakes beyond repair." He paused to regain his composure. "Which is why I must disappear from this world."

Wirt's heart skipped a beat. His fear was stretched asunder and colored the world. He couldn't be hearing this right. He just couldn't! His heart beat so fast he was sure it was going to explode.

"What is so great about being human that you would abandon everything?," demanded Iophiel as a last resort.

"Because..." Ereyon trailed off. He closed his eyes, a whirlwind of emotions swamping him. He had no other lead to hold on to.

"Because...why?," squeaked a voice.

Ereyon's eyes snapped opened, searching for the the source the voice came from. He turned around, and to his surprised, all eyes were locked on Wirt.

* * *

**Man was that fight just a heart-pumper? I almost lost it myself. Don't go anywhere, chapter eighteen will be on its way soon. Sooner than you might actually think. ;)**

**I hope you guys are ready because I can't take the suspense! *does a tap dance***

**Chapter eighteen will pick up where this chapter left off. **


	18. Chapter 18

**And I'm back. Man, can you believe it?! We're closer to the end. Ah, I gotta tell ya, writing this was not easy. I couldn't believe that we were actually getting to the end. I was dreading it because I knew we were getting to the end. And that just scares me more. **

**But that doesn't mean it has to be the end. When something comes to an end, another beginning begins. I don't know what lies ahead for this fanfic, but I'm grateful that I had my friend, darkgirl11, through this story. Thank you for always having my back, Brittany. Here's to you. *raises a glass in your honor* **

**Anyways, as always; read and review. Everything will be explained in the end.**

* * *

"Why do you want to leave everything behind?," spoke Wirt. "Why now? After everything you've been through?" He suddenly felt tears he didn't know were there. "Is it really that great to leave everything?"

"Wirt," said Sara, worry tugging on her. Behind her, Jason shared her same concern.

Ereyon didn't have the gull to say anything. Or maybe he didn't have anything to say to counter that.

Wirt was shedding the tears. The pain in his arm, which at first was sharp, was now dull and distant. Everything was collapsing all at once. And he wasn't ready to see it through.

The red-haired angel folded his wings, a plaintive look crossing his face. He glance over at the circle. He saw Iophiel, waiting for him to make his next move. Although he was confused about this interruption, he was eager to get this moving along. Deep down, Iophiel was ready to spend the rest of his existence trapped in the spell.

"I've caused so much grief, Wirt," replied Ereyon. He looked down at the bottle in his hand. The final ingredient to the spell. "My brothers expected so much from me, and I let them down." He closed his eyes, his fist closing around the phial. "My incompetence put everyone through strife, all because I'm too scared to face my problems."

Sara bit her lip in resolve.

"I could've faced my problems head on," stated Ereyon, opening his eyes, "but I couldn't. I probably could've stopped all of this from happening, but I was too stubborn to believe I'm stuck being one way forever. I let everything get so bad that I couldn't fix them."

"Well, that's how life is," spat Wirt, "sometimes you can't fix everything."

"I don't believe that," rasped Ereyon. He looked over at the circle and at Iophiel. The others would be waking soon. "And I'm fixing it."

Wirt's heart skipped a beat. He might have heard it shattering. Knowing what was about to transpire, he did what he had to do.

He ran towards him and plucked the phial from him. He stood back, tears streaking down his face. The angel looked back at him, face blanched. Sara, Jason and Greg looked on, yearning to interfere but wisely stayed put.

"Wirt," uttered Ereyon. "I don't want to have to fight you. Give me the phial." Wirt shook his head.

Sara and Jason traded soulful looks.

"Wirt," repeated Ereyon. But the boy did not respond. His fist clenched the phial, almost to the point of breaking, but he loosened his grip.

"I won't let you do this," answered Wirt. He wiped away the tears with his other hand. "I won't. I won't!"

"Please," said the red-winged angel, "I don't see no other resolution. This is the only way—"

"To hell with that!" More tears rolled down his cheeks. Wirt's heart raced like mad.

"Wirt?," peeped Greg, hiding behind Jason.

"What are you saying?," asked Sara.

An immeasurable silence passed through.

"I," sputtered Wirt, "I'm saying that...Ereyon wants to trap himself with them." He cleared his throat. "And... I don't think that's the right choice."

"How can you be sure?" Ereyon was sounding exasperated himself. Even more so than Wirt. "I've spent months trying to hide from everything and it eventually caught up to me. I thought living among humans could make me better, but it hasn't."

"I'm not sure that's true," said Wirt. The redheaded angel blinked. If he could get some sort of self-worth from him, then all he could do was listen.

"Hear us out," spoke Sara. "We've spent enough time with you to know you're not like them." She glanced at Iophiel and his followers. "Well, not savage, like them. Oh." She shrunk back, looking down at the ground.

"I know what you're trying to say, Sara," said Ereyon. "I appreciate your faith in my goodness." He glanced at the grass, feeling his own eyes water all of a sudden.

"Look where you've gotten," spoke Jason, stepping out of the small group. "Y-You...you've come all this way and for what? So you can be trapped with them forever? Why? I just don't get it! Do you really think you deserve this?"

"I...I don't know," said Ereyon. "I don't know what I want anymore!" He grabbed at his head, tears streaming down his face. He dropped to his knees, wings snapping opened with a precise _thud_.

Wirt kneeled down before him. He placed a hand on his shoulder. The angel glanced up. Sara, Jason and Greg were now joining him for support. Wirt gave him a small smile, which softened the tension inside him. Wirt looked at the phial in his hand, the purple liquid resembling metallic nail polish. It was waiting to be let out, onto the circle. But he wasn't about to let that happen.

Ereyon reached for the bottle but Wirt inched away, holding his arm away from him.

Iophiel heard one of the angels stir. He looked over, realizing it was Veriel. He sat up straight, running a hand to his head. It took all the effort he had to force himself to turn around. When his eyes fell on Wirt and Ereyon he got ready for an order from Iophiel.

"Iophiel," he rasped, "the boy. We can still—"

But Iophiel held out a hand in peace.

"Stand down," he ordered, "I sense something off-putting in this...display." With no better word for it, he wasn't sure what he was picking up, but he was sure he was sensing despair in Wirt. Despair, fear, anger, passion, and disgust. Those emotions...he sensed them in Ereyon, too.

"What is it?," asked Veriel, leaning forward. Iophiel did not answer.

"Don't you see, Ereyon?," pleaded Wirt, "you don't have to force yourself into something you're not." He paused to muffle out a cough. "You can still do the right thing and _still _be yourself."

"How?" Ereyon wiped at the tears, a habit of keeping appearance surging up. Now that he was tearing up in front of his kind, he had no reason to put on a facade. "How can the other angels look up to me and still respect me if I'm _this_?" He pointed a finger at himself, signaling his current crying state.

"Nobody will think any less of you," said Sara. "I don't."

"I don't either," chimed Jason.

"Me too," squeaked Greg, threading through the gap between her and his brother.

"And I don't think you're indecent, unprofessional, or imperfect," said Wirt. Although he planned on say one thing, he felt like this was important. "You're none of those things."

Ereyon quickly glance at Iophiel and Veriel. Wirt grabbed his chin and made him look him in the eye.

"Don't worry about what they think," he said, "worry about you and what _you _think about yourself." Greg gave him a nod.

"He's right," interjected Sara. "We all have our flaws. We know we're not perfect, but we use our flaws to make us strong."

"There's beauty in imperfection," retorted Wirt. "Don't you believe that?"

"..." Ereyon held his breath. "Of course I do."

"Then what are you doing hiding behind a false mask?"

The red-winged angel fell silent. He looked over at the circle. The other angels—Merlac, Irithiel and Eryeequel were awakening from their short slumber. The three swiveled around, wings unfurled, then noted the unfolding drama. They were confused as to why Iophiel wasn't reacting or giving any orders. They saw that their commander was calm and not at all incensed by what was happening. If they were going were to get out of this circle, the least they could do is listen.

"I've been so lost," replied Ereyon. "I've never felt so lost. I... I lost all my brothers. I'm the only one left to take the Throne. I don't want to take over, but I have to. I don't know what to do. I don't know what I'm suppose to do!" He pounded the ground with his fists, teardrops falling onto the grass blades. The angel sobbed, unable to hide the heartbreak any longer.

Iophiel watched Greg crawl towards Ereyon and wrap his tiny arms around him. Sara stroked his back—or rather—whatever she could touch without brushing the wings. Jason interlocked an arm around the angel and leaned his head against his shoulder. Wirt was the last to embrace the redheaded angel. What he was witnessing was not a lie. What he sensed in them was not faked. This was something that could never be faked. This love was true. Is this what love felt like?

Ereyon sat up a little straighter and wiped his face. Closing his wings, he glanced back at Iophiel. Remembering they've been watching, he decided to end their suffering. He spotted Wirt's pocketknife on the ground. Picking it up, he broke away from his friends and dug it into the ground. A single slice was all he needed to free the angels, and they were surprised he was doing it.

Sara quirked a brow quizzically. Jason shrugged. The relics stopped glowing as soon as the circle dimmed.

"You're letting them go?," chirped Greg.

"Yes," exhaled Ereyon.

"Why?"

"That's what _I_ would like to know," said Iophiel. Despite being out of the circle, he was still suspicious of Ereyon's motives.

"Why?" Merlac spoke. "You had us trapped, now you're letting us go. Why?"

"I no longer want to runaway and hide and pretend to be someone else," explained Ereyon. Rising to his feet, he dropped the pocketknife, head hung low, wings drooped. "I'm tired of waiting for someone else to swoop in and fix everything. I'm not hiding anymore."

Wirt and his friends also stood up, deeming it safe to keep their guards down.

"The world is unfair," said Ereyon, "and it's not going to change for anyone. _I_ have to change. And in doing so, perhaps I can change the world for the better and remedy my crimes."

Iophiel and his followers did not move. Ereyon's words hit them and there was nothing they could hold on to contradict. There was nothing left to do except take that first step out of their turmoil.

"And what was up with you?," queried Sara. "What was up with that speech?"

"Yeah," muttered Jason, "something you'd like to share?"

Wirt bit his lip. He fiddled with the phial, if it would so much as distract him for a short moment. Delaying the inevitable was trite, and he was caught in the middle. There was no escape now.

"I," he began, "I couldn't let him do it."

"Why?" Sara replied.

There were a million answers he could give her instead of the one lurking in his mind. He wasn't stalling anymore than he already did.

"Because." A surge of nausea rose up, mitigated by him breathing in. "Because I couldn't stand the thought of him being trapped forever." He felt new tears streaming down his face. "I couldn't stand being the blame for all of this, and I couldn't let Ereyon blame himself any more than he already did. If I didn't stop him, he'd try to trap himself. If he succeeded..." He wiped away the tears, he suddenly shivered. The wound in his arm burned. He wished with all his damnedest to tear it off. "I just want it to be over."

There was silence. He let it out, but not all of it. He still needed to catch a much needed breath.

"And," he huffed, "I can't face what my life would be like without Ereyon in it." He wished for the ground to swallow him in one gulp. "Because that is _exactly_ what I can't handle."

"What are you saying?," questioned Sara.

"I'm saying," replied Wirt, he turned to look at Iophiel, "let him stay here."

Iophiel's wings snapped closed. What he was asking was something he couldn't allow. It was disappointing, separating them, but orders were still orders.

"I'm sorry," answered Iophiel gravely, "I cannot allow that to happen. Ereyon still needs to be punished for his crimes, and I cannot let it go unnoticed."

Wirt's face fell. He felt something brush against him, or rather wrap around him. He looked over and saw Ereyon's red wing encircle him. The angel smiled at him, and there was a trace of pity behind that smile.

"Wirt," he spoke, "as much as I'd love to stay with you, Iophiel is right. I have caused enough damage, and I need to be punished." He looked at Iophiel, strong but scared, but he was alright. "I'm ready now," he said, clearly and evenly. It wasn't forced or out of fear. He was meaning it.

Iophiel knew this was his cue. He cleared his throat. "Ereyon," he spoke, his voice cutting through the tenseness felt everywhere, "you are charged with failure to ferry two souls into the afterlife, and for betraying your kingdom and your people." He paused, calmly gathering his bearings. "However," he spoke in a lighter, "what I see now, the love you have for these humans and the love they have for you; and the lengths they'd go through for you, I see now that they are right in the sense that change must prevail."

Sara smiled at Wirt. Jason wrapped an around him. Wirt couldn't think what was more astounding: finding out that the angles have changed their minds, or the fact that Ereyon leaving wasn't getting to him as it was a moment ago. Even with him gone, he had his friends and his brother to get him through the hard times.

"Therefore," said Iophiel, "I hereby sentence you to five years imprisonment, and another three in Jeirehneen, where you'll have to wear an inhibitor leash. You will not use flight or summon ether to labor, only your two hands. _That_ is the punishment most fitting for you."

"Thank you, Iophiel," said Ereyon, "I accept my sentence."

"Veriel," said Iophiel.

Veriel stepped forward and fished out a pair of silver cuffs. These were cuffs were heavier than the ones Ereyon had, plus the fact that they had chains to keep him restrained. The redheaded angel held out his hands, and Veriel placed the cuffs on.

"Open the portal," ordered Iophiel.

Merlac stepped out of the crowd and raised his arms. Gold ether knifed through the air like lightning. A swirling vortex of light spun. The portal to Heaven.

"Wait!" Wirt spoke, raising a hand. "Give me one last moment with Ereyon."

"Very well," replied Iophiel. "Five minutes."

Wirt approached Ereyon.

"Will I ever see you again?"

It was a hard enough question to answer. But he couldn't leave him without an answer. He clasped the boy's shoulders, making a mental memory to keep for the rest of his eternity.

"Wirt," he said, "I promise you we will meet again. Remember me always."

"I'm gonna miss you, too," chirped Greg, flinging his arm Ereyon's leg.

"I'll never forget you," he said, ruffling Greg's hair. He turned to Sara and Jason. "Or you two."

A smile crossed Jason's lips, while Sara gave him a quick nod.

Ereyon had last thing to ask Wirt.

"That night that you saw me," he began, "what did you think I was when you saw me falling out of the sky?"

The deepest secret he kept was about to be revealed. He couldn't keep it in anymore.

"I thought you were a shooting star," answered Wirt. It wasn't a complete lie, but he did indeed think he was one.

"Forgive me for being forward, but did you...make a wish?"

Wirt couldn't leave him hanging. "Yeah, I did." He was sheepish in admitting it, but at least it was out in the open.

"Will you tell me?"

"I can't tell you that." It was only appropriate to be playful if it would distract him from the inevitable. "Then it won't come true."

Ereyon pulled Wirt close and hugged him. His red wings encircled him once more, only he wasn't turning invisible this time.

"Time's up," said Iophiel. The hurricane of light and wind would only last until the angels entered.

The redheaded angel broke the hug. He stooped down to give Greg a quick one before turning away.

"I must go," he said to all four of them. "May you have Heaven in your heart, starlight in your souls and angels all around you."

Ereyon turned around, walking towards the portal. He stopped in front of it, looking at the four humans one final time. He smiled.

"Bye," uttered Greg.

Ereyon stepped into the portal. The rest went in after he did. Once Irithiel, the last angel in line, entered the vortex it was gone in a matter of seconds. It was just Wirt and his friends alone in the field. Wirt glanced over at the circle and the relics. They were of no use now, they've lost their powers. He wondered whether he should hide them or not. It would be a long time before someone found them.

And a long time before he crossed paths with Ereyon.

* * *

The light shimmered off the ground, stretching from one end to the next. Streaks of light peeked through the canopies, bringing light to the smallest of forest plants. Birds left their nests in search of food. Twigs snapped with every step the group took. Holding the map in his hand, Wirt glanced up. The way out was just a few more miles. He looked over at Sara and Jason. They hadn't said a word since they woke up in the field.

It was a surprise they lasted a night in the forest with no animals trying to hunt them. But his time in the Unknown made him remember spots he'd seen before. If he was right, they'd be seeing the entrance to the forest soon.

"Wirt, hey Wirt." Greg piped, tugging on his brother's shirt.

"Yeah, Greg?" He could use the time converse right now, if it could take his mind off last night.

"What are we gonna tell Mom and Dad?"

Wirt sighed as he folded the map. "I don't know," he replied, shoving the folded-up map into his pocket.

"What if they ask about Ereyon?," he inquired.

"We'll just say he's...hanging out with his own new friends." It was simple enough. Short, quick and believable. Their parents won't ask them any further.

"I don't think my Mom will believe any of this either," said Sara.

"Mine neither," quoth Jason.

Sara had the urge to ask Wirt a question, but halted a few times before she could muster the courage.

"Did you really mean what you said back there?" Sara did her best to sound sympathetic. "Did you really want him to stay?"

"And what was up with all that talk about a shooting star?," queried Jason, eyebrow arched.

His nerves were getting riled up, but he wasn't going to snap at them. "I thought he was a shooting star," answered Wirt, brow furrowed, not bothering to look at them.

"Did you really make a—"

"Yes!" Wirt blurted, exasperated. "No! I don't know..." He spun around, chest heaving with every breath he took. Their eyes showed sympathy, fear, confusion and hope all in one. Perhaps it was a good thing Ereyon was gone, so he couldn't hear him.

"I wanted him to stay," he said, gazing at the ground, "but I knew I wanted him to go back. And...criminal or no criminal, I still see him as my friend. Don't you guys think so?"

"Of course, Wirt," hooted Sara.

"I do, too," retorted Jason.

"Next to Francette, he's the best friend I ever got." Greg replied.

Wirt looked up at the sky. Clouds scudded the otherwise serene golden. He wondered if he could see Ereyon up there. Maybe he was already in angel jail.

"And I know one thing for sure," said Wirt.

"What?," said Jason.

"That I'm going to see him again." A smile formed on Wirt's lips. He looked at each of his friends. "And I'm going to wait for him."

"Me too," chirped Greg, raising a hand.

"And me," uttered Sara.

"You can count me in," remarked Jason.

"And I know Ereyon will be waiting to see us, too," added Wirt. "He won't know what he missed."

Sara wrapped an arm around Wirt and vice versa. Jason joined in and Greg was the last to squeeze in. Together they continued their hike toward the trail that would lead them out of this forest.

"Did you really make a wish on Ereyon?," asked Greg cheekily.

"Why not?," retorted Wirt. "There's nothing that says I can't."

"Well he's not a genie, that's for sure."

"He'd be a cool one."

Sara burst into laughter.

And so they trekked through the path, their fears and worries slipping away from them. They knew they were ready to face the world head on. And they would have each other to fall back on.

All would be well.

* * *

**This isn't the end. There'll be another chapter, and then an epilogue. You guys won't be disappointed, I guarantee it. :D**

**P.S. The prayer that Ereyon said to Wirt and his friends; I found it on Google images. I don't know who wrote it. Excuse me for not being original, but this stuff's hard.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Well, that was fast. Usually it takes me weeks to the write the next chapter. But I felt like this chapter deserved to be short, quick and to the point. And here I was dreading it, fretting, wishing to make it longer. **

**Reminder, this is not the end; there's still an epilogue to post. Hopefully, I'll have it submitted quicker than you think. ^_^ **

* * *

August was a sweltering month. The last hurrah before the coming of autumn. Everybody was savoring these last weeks of summer, especially the children, who wanted to relish it before returning to school. A window in the upper-story bedroom was wide open, and gazing out into the scenery was Wirt.

It was hard not having Ereyon around. It was like he lost a part of himself. A part he could never get back. He wished he had the time to tell him that. Perhaps Ereyon could hear him from all the way in Heaven.

Wirt resorted to spending the remainder of his summer with his parents, Greg, and his friends. Whether it was at the pool, the park, the ice cream shop, or trips to the city. They were enjoyable moments, but he wished Ereyon was there to enjoy them. He was counting the days to the start of school, and seeing what the school year would be like.

Turning to look at his bookcase, his eyes fell on a certain title. _The Spellchild_. The book he bought for Ereyon. He wished he could've given it to Ereyon to remember him by. He doubt they let angels take terrestrial keepsakes. It was better he hold on to it. Wirt sighed and gazed back outside, catching a robin perch on a branch on the tree in his front yard. He studied the bird until it flew off, its song being sung to its climatic glory.

He heard his door open all of sudden. Wirt didn't even bother turning around to see who it was. Whoever it was, he didn't care if they came in.

"Wirt," said his mother's voice, "we're going to the park in fifteen minutes, you'd better get ready."

Wirt only nodded as an answer.

"You could bring Ereyon along, if you want," she included, in the hopes that it would perk him up.

"No thanks, Mom." Wirt replied. He rose up to his feet, closing his window in the process. "Actually, I talked to him last week. He and his aunt and uncle are moving again. His uncle got a new job across the country."

"Oh, I'm sorry, honey," said his mother. She walked up to her son, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "That's too bad. And we never even got to meet his aunt and uncle."

"You wouldn't have met them," retorted Wirt, "they were busy most of the time. I don't think they even had time to breathe."

He walked over to his bed and sat at the edge, thinking of some way to keep the conversation from getting to Ereyon and his sudden departure.

"I'm really gonna miss him," said Wirt, "he's moving next week, so I don't have a lot of time to...to..." He fell silent.

"It's okay, Wirt," she crooned. She went over and joined him.

Wirt wished he could tell her that he was an angel and get it over with. But to keep her from getting shocked, it was better to keep quiet. Not a lot of people could handle things like that like he did. But he learned to never underestimate anyone no matter how they looked and acted and behaved. That was something to save for the coming future.

"Do you think I'll ever see him again?," asked Wirt. Right now, he was willing to hear anything she had to offer. Just more of the same motherly spiel she gave him and Greg all the time.

"Honey," she said as a start, "listen, don't think of Ereyon moving away as goodbye, think of it as...as..." She paused to think of something worth saying. "Take it from me," she uttered after a moment, "I moved away about three times in my lifetime, and I said goodbye to a lot of friends."

"Didn't you miss them?"

"Of course I did," his mother said. "I missed all of them. And it was hard saying goodbye. And you know what? Every time I moved away, I always made a new friend."

Wirt didn't seem convinced. A part of him wanted to cling to his melancholy, but another part of him wanted to break free of the chains and let go. He didn't know which way to go with an inferno raging inside.

"Honey," his mother piped, "listen, I know it's hard now, but one day you'll look back at this as one of the best moments of your life."

"How?"

"Because, sometimes, some friends can only stay in your heart, not your life," she explained. "And Ereyon's one of them, so will the next friends you make."

Maybe he wanted to believe her to feel better, but he did. And she was right. Ereyon wasn't going to forget him, nor would he not think about him. If he could, he'd find some way to Heaven and see him. If only that were allowed.

Wirt looked away, pondering his mother's words. If he could do it all over again, he would. He would relive every single moment just the way it was and never leave a stone unturned. Only there would be some changes to that time-turn, though.

"You know what, Mom?," he said after a minute.

"What?"

"You're right," he said boldly. "I will see Ereyon again. Maybe it'll be a few years before I see him, but it'll happen. I just have to wait."

"That's very true," she remarked. "Now, come on, we don't want to keep your father waiting." She rose up to her feet, ambling for the door.

"Mom," spoke Wirt.

"Yes?" She gazed over her shoulder.

"I think I know what kind of graphic novel I want to write."

* * *

**Okay, I know there's a lot that needs to be explained and the will be in the epilogue. Get ready for my big speech at the end. **

**I'm sorry if this chapter was rushed. Chapter eighteen felt rushed, too. I wanted to make it worthwhile, something worth reading. And I did. :) **


	20. Chapter 20

**We're finally at the end! Well, epilogue. :D I can't believe I started this fanfic nearly a year ago! Can you? Aw man, with every chapter I posted, I've waited for this day, for the day I roll out my big red carpet and show off my glamour and give my big speech.**

**First of all, I'd like to thank darkgirl11 for being there, giving me advice and listening to my ideas. You're always a true friend. :3 Second, I'd like to thank my reviewers and followers for joining me on this journey. You're all amazing, and I wouldn't be here without all of you. **

**Lastly, as I end this fanfic, this isn't goodbye. This fanfic has helped me find out things I didn't know about. I never would've made it if I had just tried. As I look back, I see how far I've grown as a writer and a person. And I hope this helps any future readers someday.**

**For every night spent writing each chapter. For every hope and dream, I'm glad to have everyone with me in this new adventure. **

* * *

**Eleven Years Later...**

* * *

The bookstore was full to capacity. People meandered in and out, eyes scanning the shelves for certain titles. Murmurs traveled through the air like miniature fires hissing to life. Employees came in with a shipment of books, figurines and the like. A rack with calendars stood near the entrance; every calendar a different theme ranging from birds to pathways. The children's section was moderately quiet with the exception of the lively chatter amongst the children playing with the train set, or the parents conversing with each other.

A girl, not quite yet an adult, with ash-blonde hair and a book in her hands, ambled towards the growing line of customers that was headed straight for the table in the main center. Sitting in the chair was a man, almost thirty, with dark brown hair and dressed in a smoky gray suit. Right now he was almost through with a phone call.

"Yeah, I know," said Wirt, "I'll be home for dinner tonight, after this book signing gig is up."

"I'm so proud of you, honey," said his mother through the phone, "I love you."

"Love you, too, Mom," he replied. "Bye." He clicked his cellphone off and set it back down on the table. Clicking his pen, he turned his attention back to his fans.

"Hi!," piped a brunette girl, who looked to be about sixteen. She held out a copy of the graphic novel _When Angels Fall_.

"Who should I make this out to?," asked Wirt.

"Christine," she said, handing him her copy. Wirt opened it to the flyleaf page and scribbled in his signature.

"There you go," he said after he finished, holding out her signed copy.

Christine held the book to her heart, squealing in excitement, and trotted off, still in a crazed state.

"Talk about fangirl crazy," retorted the man next to him. He was almost forty, dressed in a black suit and had a little stubble. Blue eyes scanned the line intermittently while stealing a glance at Wirt.

"They're not so bad," remarked Wirt.

"Still." The man glanced down at the copies of graphic novels. The covers showed the main protagonist holding an artifact, behind him his friends, a dark-skinned girl and a pasty-skinned boy with mousy hair; next to them was a breathtaking angel with blood red hair with matching wings and striking blue eyes. The characters were standing against a starry night sky with the full moon taking up most of the sky. And the title in silver letters. _When Angels Fall_ by Wirt Garner.

"So," said his agent, "what...inspired the idea for this story?"

"You wouldn't believe me even if you did," replied Wirt, handing out a signed copy to the next customer.

"Try me," declared the man.

"Nah, seriously, Dan," repeated Wirt, "you wouldn't believe me."

Dan quirked a brow. Wirt gave him a smile.

"I'd better catch a break," said Wirt, standing up. "Could you take over?"

"Yeah, no problem."

Dan sat in the chair after Wirt got up. As soon as he grabbed the pen, Wirt quickly ambled away, disappearing into the endlessness of bookcases.

He mostly strolled aimlessly, eyes scanning through titles in no particular order. Most of the fans who recognized him asked to take pictures with him. Wirt obliged and made small talk. When it was finished, he continued with his walk.

_I really did it._ A smile crossed his lips as he walked into the historical-fiction section. As he continued with his stroll he made a mental list of things to do.

_Greg's finishing his first semester of college. Dinner at home at 7. Tomorrow, meet Sara and the gang at the coffee shop. I hear she just got engaged. She and Connor deserve each other. That's the least I could say about myself._

Through his college years Wirt dated, but they never lasted long. It was mostly just a fling here, a one-night stand there. His last date was three years ago. Wirt was fine the way he was. The way things were going with his graphic novel, he figured he was okay with living a nonexistent love life. Everything was fine.

"Excuse me."

Wirt turned around. A boy, about seventeen, with blonde hair and green eyes, gazed at him. In his hands was a copy of his graphic novel, _When Angels Fall_.

"Hi," said Wirt. "You a fan?"

"Yeah!," he piped. "Can you...?"

"Autograph it?," he finished for him, searching his pocket for a pen.

"Yeah." The boy blushed sheepishly. He handed Wirt the book and Wirt opened it to the blank page.

"To...?"

"'To my biggest fan, Trent,'" said the boy.

Wirt scribbled in his requested message and handed it back to the boy.

"Thanks," said Trent, eyes alight with excitement.

"You're welcome," retorted Wirt.

"Hey," piped Trent, nervously.

"Yeah?"

"I really like your work."

"Aww thanks," said Wirt.

"I really like the angels in this story," said Trent. "You make them seem human. Especially him." Trent pointed to the angel on the cover. The redheaded one.

"Oh, Enyhrye?," offered Wirt, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, him." Trent couldn't figure which words to use or which sounded more eloquent. Speaking to an author was making the experience more thrilling. "What inspired him?"

"That," began Wirt, reflectively, "that is a long story."

"Will it take long?"

"Well, the short answer is, the angel was inspired by a friend of mine I met years ago."

"Cool."

"Yeah." Wirt's eyes misted up. "I miss him a lot."

Trent felt he had to change the subject. "Well," he said, "thank you for autographing my book. You're my hero."

"Aw, it was nothing," uttered Wirt, feeling sheepish himself.

"Really," retorted Trent, "and the tagline—"he turned the book over to the back and pointed to the top. "—'When angels fall, you'd better believe it.' That's so awesome."

"Thank you," chuckled Wirt.

"No problem," cheeped Trent. "See ya." He ambled away, waving to him. Wirt waved back. He checked his watch.

"I should probably get back to the book signing," he said to himself.

On his way he passed the graphic novel section, and his was on the podium for new releases. While Wirt first wanted to use a pen name, he decided to give the name to his main character. Chase Brooks, a boy who encounters an angel in the forest. The plot line was basically related to that summer years ago when he met Ereyon. Ever since then, he dedicated his college years writing this novel. Such were his art skills, he elaborated a gripping storyline. After over ten years of hard work and dedication, he finally published his graphic novel. Although he made a few changes to his novel. Such as names and making up dimensions and mythical creatures to join the plot line.

The reason for publishing it under his real name was to show everyone who he really was. He was no longer that sad child with a broken past. He was Wirt Garner, graphic novelist, poet and clarinetist. He made a website where he could publish short comics and soundtracks to songs he wrote. There was a song from _When Angels Fall _published on his website. It was very popular as of now.

Wirt almost reached his destination when something caught his eye. It was a flash of red. Red hair. His eyes widened. He recognized that red hair. He'd seen other redheads, but that was one shade of red he never forgot.

Wirt followed him down an aisle. Past the vinyl record collection. Through the other side of the bookstore. And finally to the CD section. Wirt followed the redhead through the collection of new age CD collections. The redhead ran his hand across the CDs, unaware of Wirt's presence.

He couldn't be. He looked the same as he did the last time he saw him. Only he was dressed in black. And his red hair was the same shade of red and just the same length. If you put wings on him, he'd look like the angel character in his graphic novel. He'd even look like...

"Ereyon?"

The man looked over his shoulder. The man's blue eyes were bluer than any blue he'd ever seen. They reminded him of the sea. Of blue sapphires. The man spun around, letting Wirt see his whole face. He was as Wirt remembered. He hadn't aged a day. He was just as he remembered. Except now that Wirt was three inches taller, he and Ereyon were almost the same height.

"Hello, Wirt," spoke Ereyon plainly. His voice was as clear as a bell. The same pitch as he remembered.

Wirt's heart leaped in place. It might've even skipped three beats. This was no dream or illusion. This was real. Ereyon was real. He was here. Wirt never expected to see him again in his lifetime, but he was proven wrong. And he was glad.

All was well.

* * *

**Wasn't that sweet? *squeals* But really, having Wirt write this into a graphic novel was all part of the plot line. XD And anyways, there's one question that's been floating around and I don't want to keep you in suspense. Was Wirt in love with Ereyon? *bursts into giggles* That was pretty obvious, but I don't really do that. I thought it was better to have Ereyon leave to go through his sentence. You see, Wirt had to let him go in order to let go of his past. **

**As I'm ending this story, I'd happy with the ending the way it is. It's how I planned to end it. I thought about discontinuing this story, but I didn't. It was the hope of finishing this fanfic that kept me going. _And_ finishing it for darkgirl11. (Plus, myself). ^_^**

**Another magnum opus completed and ready to join the rest of my great works.**

**Until next time.**


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